Worth Fighting For
by Masako Moonshade
Summary: Sequel to Everything For A Price: Hope for a future faces new trials as old enemies and new threats arise Zuko must face his inner demons, while Katara confronts a murderer. ZK
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Or anything affiliated with it besides the Black Skies Saga (the thing you are currently reading, fyi). And I'm not even sure I own that anymore, because of all the readers who threaten my life and wellbeing if I don't keep writing. (Not that I mind, really, because it means that you really like my work. And I'd rather not stop writing this, if you haven't already noticed.)

Author's Note: This is the requested sequel to Everything For A Price. Which makes no sense unless you read 'Drawn to the Blackest Skies'. Booter-Freak, thank you for the idea of shameless advertising.

Because of my utter lack of creativity (I use it all actually writing the chapters) I'm not going to give the chapters any titles this time around. Unless I somehow think of something really cool to put there. But don't expect one every chapter.

Forgive me if I was a little vague in the last chapter of EfaP. Yes, Zuko was knocked out by none other than Sokka. The soldiers didn't arrive until after our favorite Prince was already out cold. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

* * *

**Worth Fighting For**

**Chapter 1**

As she opened her eyes, Katara found herself in the chaotic confines of a dream.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Zuko snarled, throwing his fist down in fury. Angry flames spiraled down after his hand, tearing through the air in a fierce wave.

"It has everything to do with me!" Sokka shouted, advancing in spite of the fire.

"You pathetic fool! What right do you have to order her around? She's not your servant!"

"No, she's my sister! And you! How dare you force yourself on her? You're nothing but an animal!"

"Come on, guys," Aang said, trying to lower the boys' fists. Niether paid him any attention, trying to shove past him to attack one another. Murder was in their eyes, and Aang seemed just short of panic.

"What are you accusing me of, you sick—"

"You think _I'm_ sick? What do you call what you were trying to do?"

"I really think we can work this out," Aang pleaded, now using his staff to keep Zuko away, while trying to shove Sokka back. He was sweating, though from alarm or from the suddenly fiery air was uncertain.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Zuko raged. "Only a twisted mind like yours could even imagine something so—"

"Twisted? I'll show you twisted, you freak! I'll twist your stinking head off!"

"Hey!" Katara interrupted suddenly. As bizarre as this was, there was no way it could be a dream. Sokka and Zuko both froze in silence for an instant, but before Katara could say another word they lunged at each other, violently throwing Aang aside in the attack. Katara dashed to the Avatar's side.

"Are you okay, Aang?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said meekly, casting a worried glance at the two fighters. "Should we risk trying to stop them?" Katara nodded, her face hardening into a resolute grimace.

"You grab Sokka and I'll get Zuko," she instructed.

"Are you sure?" She nodded again. "Then let's go."

Together they rushed into the fray. Aang hooked his staff under Sokka's knees, toppling his friend, then pinning him to the ground before he could return to the fight. Katara jumped in front of Zuko, grabbing his wrists.

"Zuko!" she cried, failing to suppress the alarm in her voice. "Calm down! Calm down..." his skin was still unbearably hot, but she didn't let go. He stopped thrashing against her grip, though his golden eyes were still locked on Sokka, set in a furious glare.

"Aang? What exactly is going on?" Katara asked. The other two boys weren't in any condition to explain things. Aang looked uncomfortable.

"Well...Zuko was sleeping...a lot closer to you than he should have—"

"Are you kidding?" Sokka demanded. "He was all over you! He was practically—"

"Listen, you lying—"

"That's _ENOUGH_!" Katara said sharply, cutting off both of them. She tried to regain her composure. "Aang?"

"Sokka saw it, he got mad, they started fighting, and...then you woke up. That's it." Katara heard the sharp intake of breath as the fighters prepared to start shouting again.

"Thank you, Aang," she said hastily. "Now, the two of you aren't going to kill each other, right?" There was no response. "_Right_?"

"That remains to be seen..." Zuko muttered.

"Just try it!" Sokka taunted.

"That's enough! Stop it, both of you."

Zuko nodded grudgingly.

"Sokka?" Aang pressed. Sokka grunted menacingly.

"As long as he doesn't pull anything like that again..." he muttered.

"Close enough," Katara sighed, releasing Zuko's wrists. Her hands smarted as cool air rushed onto her skin, and her palms looked rather raw. She made a mental note to avoid touching Zuko when he was angry. Though, if this morning was any indication, that would be often.

Zuko had only been with the group for one night, and it became increasingly clear that he and Sokka wouldn't get along. The only thing they shared was their protective tendencies towards Katara and their mutual loathing of each other.

This made things no easier.

* * *

Flying wasn't an option within the borders of the Fire Nation. News of Katara's escape had spread quickly, and every Fire Nation soldier was employed to search the skies for the Avatar, the banished Prince, and their female companion. Sokka, Zuko pointed out smugly, was never mentioned. Their only remaining option, then, was to walk. And the first destination was the nearest port town, where Iroh would most likely have come looking for his nephew. 

The march was a difficult one; all of them had suffered injuries during the fight against Zhao's men, though Zuko and Katara had sustained the worst of it. Zuko was determined not to complain or make any indication of weakness, forcing himself to out pace Sokka. Sokka, not to be topped, lengthened his own stride, while Aang and Katara jogged to keep up. Consequently, the entire group covered a vast distance by nightfall, though they were all completely exhausted.

Katara dropped her heavy pack and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the stiffness from her spine. Sokka and Zuko had somehow decided that they couldn't walk any more, and had all but collapsed on the ground, declaring that this was a perfectly good spot to make camp. Katara only laughed and unpacked the food, giving generous portions to the boys. The meal was eaten in exhausted quiet, the silence interrupted only with a few mumbled words.

The absence of any kind of punching, kicking, or shouting made it quite peaceful, in Katara's opinion. As the sky began to darken, Zuko lit a meager pile of firewood that had been gathered from around the campsite. Meanwhile Sokka and Katara unrolled their sleeping bags, and Aang made himself comfortable on the ground. Sokka crawled into his bag and fell almost instantly asleep, and shortly after, Aang's breathing steadied and slowed. Katara sat up, watching them, not yet ready to go to bed. How long had the three of them been apart? She had missed them so dearly, and seeing Sokka and Aang again...it was like a dream.

Steady hands wrapped around her shoulders and began kneading them, working away the soreness of the march. She sighed and leaned into Zuko's touch, moaning softly. This was exactly what she needed. It was everything she could wish for: surrounded by friends and family, kept safe and warm in the dark peace of night.

* * *

Katara woke to a dull pain in her abdomen, just as the sky was beginning to pale. Despite the ache in her side, she was extremely comfortable. And so warm...she buried her face in her bag, hoping to get another hour of sleep before she had to endure another trek. She opened one sleepy eye to survey the campsite once more. Sokka and Aang were still asleep, the former snoring peacefully. The fire had faded to a few embers, still glowing like golden stars, casting subtle light on her sleeping bag, several yards away. 

Katara started awake.

_That's not possible._

Her eyes sifted through the shadows, adjusting to the meager light. Surely enough, that was her bag in the distance. And the thing covering her...

_I can see why Sokka was so mad yesterday,_ she thought fondly. Zuko was laying beside her, his arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her close and safe, surrounding her with heavenly warmth. Yet as good as it felt, there was no denying the fact that it looked...suggestive. She knew already that Zuko hadn't intended to do anything so incriminating. She had seen him fall asleep that night, at least two yards away from her. She had drifted off sometime later, and...she sighed. Both of them had most likely rolled in their sleep. She'd always had that problem, though the tight sleeping bag usually kept her from going too far. Reluctantly she scooted out of Zuko's arms, careful not to wake him. He stirred as she escaped his grip, making some indistinct sound, reaching for her in the depths of sleep. She smiled down at him and smoothed his hair before she repositioned herself a safe distance away.

* * *

Another day of walking took them to a nearby port town. Appa and Momo were left in a clearing, not far from the outer limits of the city. Sokka had crafted the plan: short, simple, and easy. Nothing could go wrong. They neared the docks, Sokka and Aang lagging behind to give the 'new couple' a chance to say their goodbyes in privacy before Zuko returned to his uncle's ship and left them alone for all eternity. 

Sokka was quite proud of this plan.

Aang wasn't exactly as optimistic.

"Um...Sokka?" he said, pulling the older boy to the side. "I think you should see this." Sokka raised an eyebrow and glanced over the Avatar's shoulder, his eyes going suddenly wide.

"So... do you think your uncle will be too upset?" Katara asked.

"He'll get over it by the time he eats something," Zuko mused. His eyes searched Katara's face as he listened to her quiet laugh. He wanted to memorize every detail of the girl. Katara's giggle faded into silence, and even the noise of the surrounding crowds seemed to dim around them.

"Do you promise you'll be safe?" she asked at last.

"Within reason," the Prince mused. Katara smiled and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. Zuko ran gently across her back, bowing his head, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"That's enough. You can save the goodbyes for later." Zuko's eyes snapped open, suddenly wrenched from the moment by Sokka's annoying voice. Katara backed out of his arms, a blush beginning to rise into her cheeks.

"What?" she asked.

"You're not going anywhere," Sokka said. He pointed importantly at the docks. Surely enough, Iroh's ship was waiting in the harbor.

And it was crawling with Fire Nation soldiers, none of them familiar.

"Take a look at this," Aang said, handing Zuko a rolled up piece of parchment.

The Prince stared at the paper grimly.

It was a notice of bounty.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: **CrimsonSkye06** asked a good question: why is this rated 'T' when both of the other stories were only 'K+'? The answer: I was constantly debating on whether or not to move EfaP up to 'T', but decided against it. I'm not going to write anything explicit or overly gorey, but there will be more suggestive scenes, dialogue, etc, than there were in the last two stories.

In mystrange little ultra conservative mind, anything I wouldn't want to explain to my nine year old sister ('why is it bad if they sleep next to each other?' she asks)counts as 'PG 13'. Chapter 3 will make for a good example.

There's also going to be a bit more violence in this, but you already know that it's in the 'Action' genre. Honestly, it's nothing you haven't already seen from me, but I'm scared I might overdo it, so it's 'T', just to be safe.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Wanted, dead or alive: Zuko_

_This fugitive was the former Prince of the Fire Nation, knows Firebending and several martial arts. He is insane, armed, and dangerous. Can be identified by a large burn scar across his eye. Hunters be warned._

_By order of Admiral Zhao_

The notice was illustrated with a rather accurate drawing.

"Insane?" Zuko said dryly. He passed the notice to Katara, who backed away to study it.

"I could have told them that much," Sokka said with a shrug, ignoring Zuko's glare.

"Those notices are posted all over the city," Aang said.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Katara asked, rolling up the scroll.

Zuko offered her an apologetic glance over her brother's shoulder.

"You don't need to worry about that," he said calmly. "The three of you need to go. I'll take care of things here."

"Yeah, right. And I'm a polar bear," Sokka said. "I think we all know how talented you are with 'taking care of things.' You're coming with us. Where I can keep an eye on you."

For an instant, Zuko was too angry about the insult to comprehend the rest of what had been said. He kept his face carefully blank as the realization hit him.

"What?" he demanded. Sokka looked smug.

"Well, you're not going back there," he pointed airily at the ship. Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but his eyes fell on Katara. And he fell silent. Ignorant of his contemplation, Sokka turned and began walking away, idly studying the shops around them.

"Are you coming?" Aang asked, following after Sokka. For a moment, Zuko didn't answer. His eyes shifted from the ship, to Sokka and Aang, to Katara, carefully weighing his options. Finally he offered her a gentle smile.

"I take it we're supposed to follow them?" he mused. Katara returned the smile with a broad grin, and Zuko felt instantly comforted with his decision. He wasn't going to make her choose between him and her family. He wouldn't cause her more grief. Not again.

They walked together after Sokka and Aang, though few strangers would have recognized them as being together. Zuko kept at a constant, comfortable distance away from her, just out of arm's reach, and though his gaze prowled the crowded market, his eye constantly returned to her face. As they caught up with the others, they found Sokka and Aang digging through a random kiosk.

"What are you looking for?" Katara asked, examining one of the curios in Sokka's hand.

"That notice said to look for a guy with a scar, right? So your boyfriend is going to to need something to hide it, or we'll end up arrested. Simple."

"An eye patch?" Katara asked dryly, picking the black patch from her brother's grip.

"How about this?" Aang piped up, tossing a large and rather fluffy wig over Zuko's head. Surely enough, the false locks fell over his face, completely obscuring the scar. It also made Zuko look as though a hogmonkey had just died on his forehead.

Katara suppressed a laugh, and gently pulled the wig from Zuko's brow. The Exiled Prince felt his mounting irritation suddenly vanish.

_You have an amazing smile,_ he thought, no longer caring how ridiculous he looked, nor the fact that the other two boys were nearly collapsed on the ground, clutching their sides in mirth.

"We'll keep looking, but that's a good backup," Katara told Aang, still giggling softly as she replaced the wig on the kiosk.

They finally decided on a short cloak with a low hood that fell eerily over Zuko's face. Aang pointed out that the entire thing looked rather creepy. Yet Katara had suggested it, and the other options had become increasingly bizarre after the wig, so Zuko made no effort to argue against the disguise.

Paying for the cloak was no difficulty; Katara had pocketed a coin purse from one of the more irksome guards at the Fire Nation's prison during her stay there, and Zuko had brought his own generous supply of money. Aang was pleasantly surprised by this, and automatically began wandering toward one of the nearest shops, this one displaying strange, intricate little devices with absolutely no practical use. Sokka rolled his eyes and grabbed the Avatar, steering him safely away from the wares.

"Remember what happened _last_ time?" he pointed out, gesturing at Zuko. "First we got attacked by pirates, and then Katara got a boyfriend. Trust me, Aang, one is enough." Aang evidently found this incredibly amusing, though he hadn't given up.

"But there's no pirates here," he protested. "And some of that stuff looks really cool!"

Sokka rolled his eyes, though only Katara saw the gesture through the shadows of his disguise. She simply smiled at him.

* * *

"Are you sure there's no towns here?" Sokka asked for the twelfth time. 

"As of two years ago, there was nothing." Zuko said tiredly.

"But that's more than enough time for a bunch of villages to pop up."

"I know that. But they would be _villages_. They wouldn't be large enough to require a heavy guard, and therefore, wouldn't be a major threat."

"But they could still see us. And they could send word to whoever has enough firepower to be a real threat."

"And in the time it would take them to receive the message and prepare an attack, we will be long gone. If there's any real danger, it's in staying on the ground." Aang glanced at the Prince, wondering how he could lie so expertly. Zuko clearly believed that nothing could be more suicidal than sitting in Appa's saddle, thousands of feet from the ground. But he remained firm, keeping his eyes carefully away from the landscape that rushed away beneath them, as he argued his point to Sokka. The argument itself had become little more than a distraction for the Prince and a chance for Sokka to talk, because all four of them had already mounted Appa and were currently flying above one of the less populated areas of the Fire Nation. He still wasn't sure whether he trusted Zuko, but...it didn't matter. Katara had faith in him. That much was important.

"Hey Aang," Sokka said, huffing slightly. "Go ahead and take a break. I'll drive." Obediently, Aang passed Appa's reigns to the older boy and climbed to the Appa's saddle. Apparently, Sokka had finally admitted to losing the argument.

Zuko was sitting close to the back, his fierce golden eyes locked on Katara. Aang recognized the cross legged posture. The Prince's shoulders curled slightly, his hands folded in meditation. Everything about the teenager was aggressive and calculating, the scar across his face a cruel reminder of the Prince's nature. Aang was still somewhat afraid of Zuko. He reminded him of a tiger; elegant yet deadly, swift yet powerful, still yet sanguinary. In all his twelve (or rather, hundred and twelve) years, it was one of the few animals that Aang had never attempted to ride. It was simply too dangerous. Because once a tiger decided to come after you, there was no survival except to flee. They couldn't be tamed.

And yet...there was no mistaking the look in Zuko's eyes. Without doubt they were predator's eyes, but as they studied Katara, there was no anger or hostility in them. Only... Aang wasn't sure exactly what that look was. It was careful, cautious, veined with poorly disguised adoration.

Katara really was incredible. Even if Aang didn't know the whole story, he could see that she had already done the impossible.

She had tamed the Tiger.

Aang was snapped out of his thoughts as Zuko turned his fierce eyes on him. Aang suddenly noticed that the Prince was shivering.

"Are you cold?" he asked, trying to sound as friendly as he could. Zuko shrugged, though he couldn't suppress his shaking.

"I'll get used to it," he said mulishly. Evidently the question had been asked before, because Katara was rolling up her sleeping bag. Most likely she had offered it to him already, and he had refused it, hoping to look tough for her. The thought was quite entertaining.

"You know, you're going to end up getting sick," Aang pointed out. Zuko offered him a freezing glare, and he found himself reminded again of how much the Prince resembled a wild, dangerous animal. Almost defiantly, Aang sat down close to him and Katara. He wouldn't let himself be frightened off. If Katara considered him safe, than Aang would as well. And if she was wrong...then somebody would need to protect her.

"What are those called?" he finally ventured to ask, pointing at Zuko's weapons.

"Long Dao," he said with a shrug. The answer was short and rather clipped. Katara, finally finished repacking the sleeping bag, examined the swords. Zuko gave her a slight nod, some kind of signal, and she picked up one of them.

"It's heavy," she observed. "A lot heavier than what the guards used."

"It would be," he said, relaxing slightly. Aang recognized an opportunity. "It's a broadsword. Most of the guards in the Fire Nation are supplied with short swords. They're thinner and easy to use, so new recruits can be trained faster."

"Where did you learn to use those?" Aang asked. Surely enough, Zuko didn't revert back to his usual cold demeanor.

"My uncle taught me," he said.

"He used to be a general, right?" Katara asked. Zuko nodded proudly.

"He was once known as the Dragon of the West. He was an excellent warrior. And still is, when he's not obsessing over food," he added thoughtfully.

"Sounds like he and Sokka would get along pretty well," Aang said. Zuko shot him a sidelong glance, but shrugged.

"Maybe," he said, still pensive.

"So I'm guessing he was a good teacher," Aang suggested.

"An excellent one. He is as much a master as the trainers at the palace..." The conversation continued for some time, drifting between topics, sometimes fading into complete silence until Katara evoked a new subject.

* * *

Sokka glanced back at the other three. Zuko hadn't done anything particularly menacing yet, and he wasn't touching Katara. But the young warrior couldn't shake the feeling of unease that wound through him as he studied the Firebender. Zuko seemed to sense his stare, and looked up. For a silent moment, they locked eyes, and Sokka was trapped in that piercing yellow gaze. Terror washed through him, and only a single thought surfaced in his suddenly racing mind. 

_This man is a killer._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Let me tell you all a story: Once upon a time, there was an author known as Masako Moonshade. Now, miss Moonshade truly loved writing, but she was very sad, because she didn't own the rights to anything she wrote. They belonged to their respective creators, including Nickelodeon. But Masako would not be dismayed, because she knew that someday, she would gather an army great enough to conquer Nickelodeon and all the world, and...I mean...she knew that one day a handsome prince would come and whisk her away, and that her wonderful reviewers would read her stories, regardless of who owned them. Heh heh...

AN: Hey, **IceChildOfNight**...I'd love to hear your ideas, but you left me no way to contact you. Could you send me an email or something? And anyone else who has ideas, reactions, whatever, feel free to say so! I'm all ears...or eyes...or whatever, but my telepathic skills are going nuts right now, so I won't be able to read your minds. Which is why we have reviews. :)

Also, I'll be starting school on Tuesday, and I'm pretty busy this week, so updates are going to be a bit farther apart. Expect one every week or so.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Okay," Sokka said thoughtfully, sinking into his self-assumed 'I'm the leader' position. "We're going to need to lay down some ground rules." Katara eyed him skeptically.

"And what would those be?" Sokka bowed his head, looking as serious as he could manage.

"First of all, you're not allowed to capture Aang." Zuko stared at him blankly.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"Dead serious." Sokka said mulishly.

"What exactly do you think I'm going to do? Tie him up and carry him off? Did you somehow miss the bounty on my head? With or without the Avatar, Zhou will have me executed if I come anywhere near the Fire Nation."

"Then you should have no problem with that rule," Sokka said smugly. "Next rule: don't eat, mistreat, or torch Appa or Momo." Zuko shot Katara a glance that clearly said 'your brother is insane.' Katara rolled her eyes playfully.

"It's more for him than for you," she explained. Sokka ignored her comment and continued:

"And the two of you have to have either Aang or me sleeping between you at night. I don't want-" Katara blushed furiously and clapped her hands over Aang's innocent ears.

"Is that really necessary?" Zuko asked Sokka, more than a little irritated as he broke into the other boy's instructions.

"Just so we know where we're coming from," Sokka countered. "But I think you get it. Okay, and while we're on that note," Katara still hadn't uncovered Aang's ears, though the young boy was still straining to hear what was being said. "Don't go sneaking off together. And don't do anything you wouldn't want Aang or me to see."

"Are you done?" Katara asked, her cheeks stained crimson.

"Yeah, you can let go of him now," Sokka said with a shrug. Katara released Aang, looking incredibly flustered. Aang, however, wore an innocently amused expression, revealing that he had managed to hear everything.

* * *

Sokka stared at Zuko, trying to gage the Prince's reactions. He looked insulted and somewhat angry; Sokka had seen him attack people for less. But the rules were necessary. There had to be a defined line for Zuko to cross. Some way where there could be no justifying about what was right and what was wrong. 

Because Sokka still remembered Jet. He could still hear Katara defend that lying murderer. And he could still see her tears when Jet had nearly killed him and hundreds of innocent people.

Katara hadn't had much good judgment in Haru's case, either. She had wildly stormed into a Fire Nation prison, alone and unprotected. She could have been hurt. Could have been killed.

Sokka's eyes flashed to his sister, who was trying to avoid looking at anyone else as she prepared dinner.

She was smart. Wise, even, beyond her years. But when it came to boys... all of her sense seemed to vanish. And Prince Zuko was perhaps the worst person with which to make a mistake.

He was dangerous. Ruthless and cold enough to kill dozens of soldiers without hesitation. Brutal enough to scar and perhaps mortally wound Zhao. Enemy or not, the punishment had been severe. But Sokka hadn't argued, because of the circumstance, and because of Katara. Zhao had been the one who kidnapped her, who locked her away, who beat her while she was helpless in the middle of nowhere. But Sokka couldn't help wondering if Zuko would be willing to do the same to somebody else, for a lesser crime. If he wouldn't turn on them...

But even that wasn't the greatest of his worries. If Zuko decided to attack them, he and Aang would be there to fight him off. They had bested him a few times already, and once more wouldn't be too much of a problem.

The real problem was Katara.

Sokka had protected her since she was born. He had chased away the older children who bullied her when she was small, comforted her when their mother had died and when their father left to fight the war. He had always defended her and stood by her, even when he knew she was wrong.

He shuddered. Weeks ago, a lifetime ago, it seemed, he had watched in horror as Zuko kissed her. And later, when he was forced to watch as she waved goodbye, alone on the dock of the Prince's ship. Always, always, that terrible fear had pressed on him, that Zuko had hurt her. That he had done more than kiss her. If she had withheld those meetings, those trades, those kisses, what else would she hide? Would she trust him enough to tell him if Zuko really _did_ misuse her? Would he ever know?

He shuddered again. If Katara got pregnant, he would...

"You should wrap up if you're cold," Aang said. Sokka pouted foolishly.

"If he can take a little chill, so can I," he said. It was an idiotic challenge but it convinced Aang.

"Anyway, dinner's ready," Katara said. Sokka studied his sister for an instant. She looked happy. The embarrassment seemed to have lifted, and she now hummed cheerfully as she spooned rice and some kind of experimental side dish onto the group's small traveling bowls.

If she needed help, Sokka would have to wait until she asked for it. Until then, he had to trust her.

* * *

Zuko waited until Katara was asleep before confronting her brother. The other boy was dozing, though he had earlier been keeping a dutiful vigilance. 

_Watching out for me,_ Zuko thought grimly, picking up a pebble and lobbing it into Sokka's chest. He started, grabbing his boomerang according to habit. Zuko struggled to maintain his temper. He had business to take care of and he wouldn't achieve anything if the two of them started fighting again.

"What's going on?" Sokka demanded.

"You're going to wake them up if you keep shouting like that," Zuko said evenly. Sokka lowered his voice, though his boomerang remained ready.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why you went on like that today."

"I'm protecting my sister," Sokka said defiantly, sitting up.

"From what? Your sick imagination?"

"I don't know what you've done to her already," he hissed. "But I'm not going to sit by and let you have your way with Katara." Zuko felt fury course through his veins like liquid flame. He forced down his rage and indignation, keeping his focus on the task at hand.

_Just like meditating. Meditating. Just breathe..._

"I have done _nothing_ to Katara," he said acidly. "And I would never dishonor her, or do whatever else is running around in your twisted mind. I respect her more than that." He stared coldly down at Sokka. "More than you do, apparently."

"What are you talking about, you freak?" Sokka snapped.

"Do you honestly think Katara would _let_ anyone mistreat her? Do you think she's fool enough to be charmed out of her chastity? Do you honestly believe she'd lay down and submit to whatever man tried to 'have his way' with her?" he finished, glaring at the other boy. Sokka sat back, digesting what he heard for a silent moment.

"You haven't done...anything to her?" he asked warily.

"I've held her. I've kissed her. You already knew about that. But I've done no more."

"And you aren't going to..."

"No."

"You swear?" Zuko didn't hesitate.

"Yes." Sokka judged him with a wary eye.

"Fine," he said grudgingly. "But I swear, if you hurt her..."

"I know," Zuko said, laying down, decisively keeping Sokka between himself and Katara. "I know." He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

* * *

_A scream cut through the air._

_Sokka raced to the source of the cry, his heart pounding like a drum. Any harder and it would tear through his chest._

_He broke through a line of trees, into a clearing. Aang was lying on the ground, absolutely still. Suddenly his body burst into flame, the angry, bloodthirsty fires consuming everything they could touch._

"_No!" Sokka shouted, rushing at the corpse, praying desperately that he could somehow save his friend, that Aang could be restored, that he wasn't dead, wasn't gone..._

_The flames vanished as quickly as they had come into being, leaving nothing but white ash and bones where the Avatar once was._

_Sokka turned away from the grizzly sight, horrified._

_And he saw Zuko._

_The Prince was holding Katara, comforting her, whispering things into her ear before he kissed her, gently, on the lips._

_It was Katara who had screamed, Sokka realized._

_Why? _

_Because Aang had died?_

"_It's all right, Katara," Sokka said, almost pleading. "It's over. Don't look. He'll come back. Into the cycle. And we'll find him again. It's all right." He wanted to protect her. He didn't want her to see. _

_Zuko pulled his face from Katara's and turned to look at Sokka, a smile on his face._

_Still in his arms, Katara's head lolled to the side. Her shoulder rolled slightly, and for the first time, Sokka saw the dagger that had been thrust into her heart._

_Zuko was still smiling as Katara's blood trickled from his lips.

* * *

_

Sokka woke with a start. Desperately he kicked off his sleeping bag, crawling to his sister's side. She had rolled during the night, and her back was turned to him. With a force near violence, Sokka grabbed her and spun her to face him, and he searched her face, her chest, his eyes straining in the darkness for the cruel red omen of blood.

But there was nothing.

Katara's eyes were open now, and she studied her brother with concern and alarm.

"Sokka? What's going on? What's wrong?" Around them, Aang and Zuko woke as well.

Weak and giddy with relief, Sokka slumped back. His breathing was as heavy as though he had been running, Cold sweat drenched his skin.

"What is it?" Zuko asked in his usual cold, military tone. Sokka's stomach lurched.

"You okay, Sokka?" Aang yawned, a more familiar, comfortable, welcome sound. Katara gently laid the back of her hand against her brother's forehead.

"You've got a bit of a fever," she observed, still concerned. _And still alive!_ Sokka wanted to hug her. And Aang, too.

_It was a dream. It was just a dream. Nothing else. They're okay, they're not hurt, everything is as it should be._

The heat on his face was nothing more than an embarrassed flush. He had been terrified by a mere dream!

"I'm fine," he said, trying to regain his nerves.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked in her kind, motherly way.

"Positive."

"Okay," she said, though she still looked unconvinced. "But we _have_ been going at a pretty rough pace. We should probably take it easy for a while."

"That's a good idea," Sokka said, crawling back to retrieve his sleeping bag.

"Am I hearing things?" Aang asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Are you sure you're not sick?"

"Back to sleep, Aang," Sokka grunted.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: It is a sign of insanity to repeat the same action constantly, while expecting a different result. I am constantly adding these disclaimers, expecting somebody to care. By definition, I should be in a loony bin. As if the men in white coats could catch me!

Okay, here's the deal:

I'm not exactly confident about the next few chapters. I sent them to my Beta, but she hasn't sent me any word for a while, and I fear that she has gone on vacation or died without telling me. Or her computer broke. Anyway, this is all self edited, and my blasted inferiority complex and paranoia are driving me off the wall. But I promised myself that I would update. I start school in three days, so expect the next update next Saturday. No sooner (seriously, we all know that I said the same thing at the beginning of the summer. I updated every four days. But I mean it this time.)

Please, if this chapter stinks like a dead squirrel, TELL ME! Don't assume that my muses are going to come back all of a sudden and redeem it at the end, because Araya left me _again_. Went to Bermuda or something. (So you know, Araya is my muse. She's mean to me, and also happens to be a figment of my imagination.) Anyway, if you don't like it, speak up. If you do like it, speak up. And if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

Sorry.

Lots of anxiety at home/work/school/etc. Anyway, here's your chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Zuko shifted steadily from sleep, awakened by a faint sound nearby. His eyes opened, ready for anything, searching the darkness for intruders. He saw Katara sit up and stretch, climbing gracefully to her feet. She gathered a few items from her bag and looked back at her sleeping companions, before stepping quietly from the clearing. Instantly alert, Zuko stood, following her from a distance. He could hear nobody nearby, but that meant very little.

After some minutes of walking, she stopped at a bubbling spring, surveying the area around her. Satisfied, she unfastened her robe and stripped it away, folding it and laying it by her supplies. Zuko forced himself to look away, feeling his face grow hot as she did the same to her shirt, her pants, her undergarments...

A quiet splash announced that she had entered the water, no doubt to bathe. Zuko cast his eyes into the surrounding shadows, keeping a constant vigilance. She lowered her guard when she bathed. He had learned that the last time he had crept up on her, when he had returned her necklace to her.

_That was, what, two months ago? Three?_ He wondered idly, forcing himself not to glance down at Katara. She was bathing at the late hour for privacy. And she didn't need him ogling her at all hours of the night.

_I'm just here to protect her. So nothing happens to her when she's alone. That's all._

"I thought you said you weren't a pervert?" Katara laughed softly. Zuko's gaze fell back on her. She was standing in front of him, clad in a towel and looking at him expectantly. He struggled to keep his eyes on hers, not to stammer when he spoke, not to let his face go completely red in the darkness.

"I'm not," he protested with as much dignity as he could muster. "I'm just making sure that nobody else—"

"Yes, you are," she chided gently, cocking her head to the side. "You're _my_ pervert." Zuko allowed himself to laugh softly. That was exactly what he needed to hear. As awkward as this was, it could be worse...

"Always," he promised. Katara smiled and picked up a comb, drawing it through her hair.

"Do you always watch me bathe?" she mused.

"When I can get away with it," was his joking response. It was nothing more, of course. Just a joke. But he wanted to keep her happy. To keep her smiling that gorgeous smile. Little else mattered; his mind had gone completely fuzzy in the last few moments.

"I'm amazed Sokka hasn't tried to kill you more often," Katara laughed.

"I think he's saving the special treatment for the serious offenses. Like this," he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her towel clad waist, pressing her against his chest. "And this," he kissed her gently. "And this," his kisses trailed to her ear, down her neck. Katara moaned softly and laid her hands on his shoulders, dropping the comb, pulling him closer...

"Exactly. So now that you've gotten your cheery little point across, _get off my sister_." Zuko glanced up, shooting a slight glare at Sokka, who now stood at the edge of the clearing, his arms folded in irritation. He felt the warmth of a blush radiating from Katara's cheeks, and he reluctantly released her, drawing himself to what he hoped was a dignified stance.

"He's got a point." The Avatar's chirping voice was unmistakable. "And Katara, you might want to put some clothes on." Zuko turned, trying to withhold his surprise.

"Do you hold these midnight gatherings often?" he asked Sokka, while absently smoothing Katara's hair. Her face had gone crimson, the hue visible even in the dark of night.

"That depends. How often do you stalk Katara? There's something to be said for _privacy_."

"That much, at least, is true," Zuko countered.

"That's enough!" Katara interrupted. "All of you can leave now. I'd like to get dressed."

Both Sokka and Zuko seemed to have arguments for this, but Aang stopped them.

"You heard her, guys. Let's go."

"Thanks, Aang," Katara said, gathering up her clothes as the Avatar herded the other boys away from the spring.

Zuko scolded himself for being so careless. Three days had passed since Sokka's midnight spell of insanity, and his opinion of the Prince was visibly dropping by the hour. Especially when Zuko came within a yard of Katara.

And that stunt had done nothing to strengthen Sokka's trust in him.

_It wasn't my fault,_ he moped, turning away from Sokka's accusing glare as he lowered himself to the ground.

_Yes, it was,_ countered the vicious voice from the back of his mind. _You just _**had** _to follow her. She could have been off to do anything. Absolutely anything. Don't you think there was a reason why she went off by herself in the middle of the night? A good reason why she made sure everyone else was asleep first? Of course this was your fault. You're the one who's too terrified to let her out of your sight._

_Of course I am. Last time she was nearly killed. I won't let that happen to her. I can't._

_No. You're just going to get yourself into even more trouble, and make things worse for her. You follow her around like a starved dog._

_I do not._

_Yes, you do._

_Maybe I was wrong to follow her, but it still wasn't my fault. Sokka has no right to blame me for...For what, exactly? I didn't do anything._

_She was wearing a towel, for crying out loud. A towel and _nothing else!_ Who in their right mind wouldn't get suspicious?_

_Sokka isn't exactly in his right mind, now is he?_

_Right enough to recognize a lust crazed idiot when he sees one._

_I am not._

_Did you somehow miss what just happened at the spring?_

_I was guarding her!_

_Yes. You were doing a great job of guarding her. And holding her, and kissing her. And if Sokka hadn't interfered, Agni only knows what else you would have done. Some guard you are._

Zuko had no argument for this. Defeated, he rolled onto his back, staring at the sky.

"Zuko, we seriously need to talk," Sokka said, evidently doing his best to sound like a great big leader. Zuko sighed. He'd already had this friendly little chat inside his head. He didn't need to listen to it again. Especially if this repetition included Sokka's fists. The last thing Zuko wanted at that moment was to get into another fight.

"Let me see...I'm scum, I was wrong to sneak out after her, and I'll never do it again. Satisfied?" he flicked his glance at Sokka, who's expression had become an amusing mixture of indignation, confusion, and satisfaction.

"Er...right. Don't even think about it."

"And I'm sure you'll know if I do. Now good night."

* * *

Sokka was far from convinced, but he could think of no further arguments. Honestly, when it came down to fact, a few words would do little, if anything, to protect Katara if Zuko decided to turn on her. The passage of three days had done nothing to shake the images of his dream from his mind. He could make no sense out of Zuko's bizarre confession... or whatever it had been. And it had reopened that sensitive concern: if Zuko _thought_ about doing anything to Katara, Sokka would never know. His knowledge was limited to his careful spying, Katara's reports, and his own deductive skills.

It left a lot of holes. Holes through which Zuko could slide in a heartbeat. All he had to do was get Katara alone and out of sight, and convince her not to talk. Considering how crazy she was about him, neither task would be incredibly difficult.

He shuddered, but managed to lay down and look asleep as Katara entered the campsite, dry and dressed. She looked around, taking in the sleeping forms of her brother and friends. Affectionately she knelt at Aang's side, stroking his head before laying down and falling asleep between him and Sokka.

* * *

Katara searched the scenery below with caution.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko asked.

"Nothing. It's just some dumb superstition," she said, shrugging off her tension. Aang and Sokka exchanged glances. Her concern was no 'superstition'. All three of them recognize the trees below. And all three knew what lurked in the cover of the dense foliage. But Katara had a point: the nightmare they had experienced was in the past, and there was no use bothering Zuko with it now. Sokka, personally, had no problem with bothering Zuko, though he wasn't looking forward to sharing any new opportunities for the other boy to tease him. Besides, the Water Tribe warrior was having far too much fun doing just that to the Prince.

"Hey, Zuko," he began, a smirk rising on his face. Zuko acknowledged him with a sidelong glance, but said nothing. "What's _up_? Are you worried about something?" No idiot could be fooled by the false sweetness in his voice. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Have you lost your mind?" Zuko said irritably.

"Nope. But you've just about lost your lunch. After all, being _way_ up here, in the open sky, with _nothing_ under you if you fall off and..."

"You have absolutely no idea what you're doing, do you?" Zuko said, glaring icily at the other boy.

"I know how that you're scared half to death."

"Stop being an idiot, Sokka," Katara said. She suspected that this was some kind of bizarre male bonding experience, but she recognized the signs of Zuko's rising temper, and really didn't want to break up a fight this high off the ground. Zuko glanced at her, his gaze unreadable.

"I'm just saying," Sokka said airily. "But seriously, your boyfriend has some serious problems with flying."

"Though it seems that you have a harder time with insults," Zuko said dryly.

"What was that, _flyboy_?"

"The _lemur_ is more intimidating than you are."

"I might not be intimidating, but at least I'm not as psychotic as you are."

"Aren't you? That's a laugh."

The verbal battle continued for some time, at a seemingly eternal stalemate, though Zuko was staring increasingly more at Aang and Katara and ever less at the scenery. Evidently, Katara found this, as well as his blatant refusal to show fear, endearing. Without warning she moved behind him and began scratching his back. Sokka pouted, the argument somehow ended by her interference. Zuko was much more appreciative, and flashed Sokka a victorious smile before leaning into Katara's touch. His previous apprehension was forgotten.

"Hey, Sokka?" Aang asked as his friend climbed onto Appa's head next to him.

"What's up, Airhead?"

"Am I ever gonna be like that?" Sokka glanced back at the 'couple' with slight disgust.

"A girl? Or putty in the palm of a girl's hand?"

"The second one."

"Yep."

"You sure?"  
"When did you forget what happened on Kyoshi?"

"...I didn't?"

"That's right. Trust me, it gets a whole lot worse when it's just one." Aang looked confused.

"That makes no sense."

"Of course not. Nothing does when girls are involved. Just trust me on this."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, my muse ran away after I wrote Chapter 8 because school started, and I have really hard classes. But I do have good news: I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Gaico.

Just kidding. I don't own a car. I have a bicycle. But Blue Kat did update one of her stories (after two months...) which makes me quite happy. For those of you who don't know, Blue Kat is the amazing authoress who got me started on reading and writing fanfiction in the first place. Yup. I started writing because I was going through withdrawal due to her infrequent updates.

Kind of sad, huh? But she updated and now I'm happy.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Surprisingly little persuasion was needed to convince Zuko that Katara didn't need anyone to 'guard' her while she bathed. Though, grudgingly, Sokka's constant threats and glaring did help sway him, their effect was dwarfed by Katara's effort.

"I'll be all right," she had assured him. "You'll have to stop being a pervert for now." She kissed him on the cheek, and his opinion was instantly solid.

Sokka watched with interest. Somehow, everything he and Aang said was brushed aside as unimportant and Zuko's response was grudging at best. Yet all Katara had to do was bat her eyelashes and he became her loyal servant.

It was bizarre.

_He'd probably jump off a cliff if she asked him to,_ Sokka thought cheerfully. The image was rather pleasant, especially in the grimly familiar place.

They had been flying for a few days now, but the forest over which they traveled showed no signs of ending. Zuko assured them that they were already outside Fire Nation territory, and safely out of reach of Zhao and his soldiers. But he was blissfully unaware of other dangers, sure that he could cope with whatever threatened.

That confidence really ticked Sokka off. And the young warrior came just short of saying so, moments after Katara left for a bath. But before he could make a sound, he was interrupted by a rather annoying bird as it twittered somewhere in the branches above them.

"You are really annoying, you know that?" Sokka said. Zuko didn't respond. His attention was focused on the leafy canopy, his predator's eyes scanning the branches.

"Zuko?" Aang said gingerly.

"Quiet." His eyes still hadn't left the sky. Somewhere in the trees, a breeze disturbed the branches, and they rustled noisily. Sokka snorted.

"Boy, you're tense. Calm down, it's just some dumb bird." Zuko lowered his gaze, carefully meeting Sokka's eyes. His eerie golden orbs were unreadable.

"No, it's not."

* * *

Katara tried not to look downstream as she bathed, though she couldn't keep her eyes from wandering. In the distance she saw the ruins of an old dam, long since destroyed, and the destroyed land around it, an ugly scar on an otherwise beautiful forest.

But in truth, the wreckage wasn't really ugly. Water had filled many of the remaining craters, and foliage was beginning to reclaim the mutilated earth. It could be rebuilt. Reclaimed. The land could heal in time.

The man who caused that destruction could not.

She took a deep breath and dove beneath the river's surface. The river pressed all around her, offering her comfort. Water could restore. It could protect. It could save. And after even the cruelest flood, new life was always sure to emerge. It was a gentle element. A healing element.

But _he_ had tried to change that. To use it to destroy, to kill. He tried to use _her_ to murder innocent people.

A bitter taste filled her mouth, summoned by the memory. She spat it into the river and broke through the surface, shaking droplets of water from her face and hair. Satisfied, she opened her eyes.

And cried out.

* * *

Zuko was on his feet in a flash. He raced away from the clearing, Sokka and Aang on his heels.

_To drag Zuko away when he finds out it's nothing_, Aang told himself. _Katara just shouted because she stepped on a frog or something. She's not really in danger. Zuko just got worked up, so he's jumping to conclusions, and we need to herd him back to camp when he gets there. It's gonna be all right._

_Please, please be all right, Katara._

They burst through the line of trees with no warning but the startled chirping of a few birds. Katara stood ominously still, half submerged in the river, her face a mixture of shock and anger and fear. She didn't see Aang or Zuko or Sokka.

Her eyes were locked on Jet.

The young man glanced over his shoulder at the new arrivals, a look of mild surprise on his features. He had been staring at Katara a moment before. Aang swallowed. This did not bode well: Zuko knew nothing of Jet, though he was clearly very sure of something else.

Whoever the stranger was, he had frightened Katara. And most likely, had threatened her as well.

The air around Zuko became suddenly torrid, and Aang fought the urge to back away, to escape the wrath that was almost visibly welling within the Prince.

"What are you doing here, Jet?" Sokka demanded.

"Sokka. Aang. Who's your new friend?" Something in the rebel's eyes betrayed that he knew very well who Zuko was.

"Answer the question," Aang said coldly. Jet shrugged.

"Same as always," he said, his voice light and smooth. "Saving people from the Fire Nation." If he had been looking for a reaction, he certainly got one. Zuko's face twisted into a furious glare as he advanced a step, unconsciously entering a fighting stance. Jet's face flickered into a minor smirk. Another false bird cry sounded, and he glanced up.

"I've got things to take care of, so if you don't mind..." he didn't bother to finish, disappearing like a shadow into the trees.

As he left, Katara seemed to remember herself, as well as the fact that she wasn't wearing anything, and jumped into the meager shelter of the water, trying to cover her vital regions with her arms. A furious blush stained her face. Aang, Sokka, and Zuko apparently realized the same, and all three spun on their heels, turning away from her, their faces as red as hers. Sokka clapped his hand over Aang and Zuko's eyes as well, as though to block out any temptation of peeking at his sister. But Zuko brushed the protective barrier aside and pulled off his shirt. Without a second thought he threw it over his shoulder, and it landed in the river, a few feet away from Katara. She understood and quickly donned the garment before wading from the water.

"Are you all right, Katara?" Sokka asked, as the three boys helped her from the water's edge. She nodded.

"Yeah...I was just startled. That's all." She bent to pick up her clothes and towel.

"Wait to change until we get back to camp," Aang suggested, his eyes flickering through the deceptive foliage. Katara nodded again and began walking, surrounded by her three guards.

* * *

She toweled off and dressed behind Appa, grateful for the warm, dry clothes. She thanked Zuko for lending her his shirt, though he assured her that it wasn't a problem. The unspoken message was clear enough: they had greater problems to worry about than a soaked tunic.

"That pervert," Zuko said as all of them settled around the campfire. "You all know him?"

"Wish we didn't," Sokka grated.

"Yeah...it wasn't the best experience," Aang said uncomfortably. They could have done nothing more to peak Zuko's interest.

"What happened?" he pried. Sokka shot a sidelong glance at his sister.

"For one thing, Katara used to have a crush on him." An awkward moment passed.

"I see," Zuko said. He would later look back in wonder at the restraint he showed.

_A crush? On him! What could you possibly see in a shallow, twisted boy like him? He's obviously nothing but a good for nothing, vain, idiotic, perverted, sick..._ As though she could hear his thoughts, Katara blushed, sending an apologetic glance at the ground.

"It...wasn't the brightest thing I've ever done..." she said.

_Clearly._

_But then, neither was kissing me. And I know _I've _never regretted that..._ But there was more to the story.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Jet... well, to put it nicely, he was a lying jerk and a madman," Aang started, still uneasy.

"Heck, yeah," Sokka said. "And he had the two of you eating out of the palm of his hand. Sure, the guy could talk smooth, but he was insane. He tried to kill off an entire village, just because it was being occupied by the Fire Nation. He was obsessed with destroying everything Fire Nation, no matter who he had to hurt or kill to do it. He even jumped and beat a harmless old man!"

"And you liked him?" Zuko asked Katara.

"I didn't know. I just figured Sokka was being weird or jealous or something. I didn't think he..." she looked away. "I didn't think _anyone_ could be like that."

"Like what?"

"Two faced like that. He acted...sweet, I guess. Sincere. Like he really wanted to help people. And then he turned around and tried to kill all those innocent people... And he talked Aang and me into helping him do it."

"How?" Zuko couldn't imagine Katara ever willingly going along with such a scheme. Katara, Sokka and Aang explained about the reservoir that stood just upstream of a village, of Jet's lies about a planned forest fire, about how she and Aang had been eager to help protect the valley, only to discover, too late, the truth behind the plot. And of how Sokka had convinced the villagers to evacuate, just before the dam that held the reservoir was destroyed, releasing a flood that completely destroyed the newly emptied village.

"I really trusted him," Katara said at last. "I just didn't want to believe that he could..."

_'They wouldn't touch your food if they knew where it came from. Sokka and Aang don't trust Firebenders. Least of all you.'_

_'But do you?'_

_'No.'_

It certainly explained a lot.

"And now we're back," Sokka said at last.

"We can leave first thing in the morning," Zuko offered.

"Right." For once, the two boys didn't argue.

* * *

Zuko woke that night to an unwelcome sound. He snapped to attention, searching through the darkness. Katara was, thankfully, still asleep, though she was tossing in the throes of a nightmare, whimpering and moaning incoherently. Silently Zuko crawled around Sokka to her side. With one hand he took hers, with the other he smoothed her hair.

"It's all right," he whispered into her ear, softly, so she wouldn't wake. "It's all right. I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you. Shhh..." Katara began to calm. Her movements slowed, her whimpering quieted, and she tightened her grip on his hand, pulling it close to as though it was a stuffed toy. He continued whispering to her until her breathing steadied and she returned to a still, peaceful sleep. For several minutes he simply laid there, his hand held in hers, watching her.

"I love you," he murmured, before finally reclaiming his hand and leaving her side.

Cold eyes watched him return to his spot on Sokka's other side. They saw him sit up once more to glance at the sleeping girl, and sigh, before Prince Zuko finally returned to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Is there an echo in here?

AN: ...Yeah, I said I wouldn't update until Saturday (you've got to wait until next week for more) but I'm not feeling well and I've got writer's block, so you get another chapter. Screwy world, isn't it? I hope a few good reviews will help to unblock me...

Oh yes, and so you know, between school, work, church, and homework, I'm getting by with about three hours of sleep every night. I've already gotup to chapter9 written(thank the heavens for summer vacation)but after I post it, I may take a while to update. Which is why I'm staggering my updates as it is. Hopefully, by that point I'll have gotten some more down.

Also, for all of you wonderful people who actually read the author's notes, I have **_another poll_** for you:

I'm revising EfaP (during lunch, because I've got nothing better to do). Should I keep Zuko's past the way I wrote it, or alter it to fit the show? My guess was pretty close to reality, but accuracy (or lack thereof) matters for... future stuff. cough...

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Katara was jerked from sleep as a rough hand clapped over her mouth.

A second hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her from the ground. She tried to cry out, to struggle, to make some noise and wake up Aang and Sokka and Zuko. But her captor was too fast, now dragging her away from the campsite despite her protest. She clawed at him and bit the hand that was over her mouth. It was jerked violently away, allowing her to make the slightest noise, before it was clapped over the back of her head, pressing her face into a mass of leather and the dark fabric of a shirt. It was warm, it smelled of mildew and sweat. She recognized that scent.

_Jet_.

He looped the other arm under her knees and picked her up, carrying her away while she pounded on his shoulders and chest, attempting to make muffled demands to be put down.

After what seemed an eternity, he obeyed.

Jet lowered her to the ground in what would have been a graceful maneuver, had Katara's struggles not unbalanced her, sending herself tumbling across the ground.

"You can stop now," Jet said gently, rubbing a bruise on his arm from one of Katara's assaults. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Really?" she snapped, rising to her feet in a rage. "Then why did you take me here? How _dare_ you take me away from my friends?"

"I didn't. I'm trying to help you, Katara. To protect you."

"From what?" Katara demanded. "From the Fire Nation? Sorry, but I think I'll deal with that on my own."

"Katara-"

"Leave me _alone_, Jet!"

"Just let me explain," he said, maintaining his smooth calm, stepping closer to her, his arms outstretched as though to show he was harmless.

"No thanks. I've had enough lies from you." She turned and began walking through the trees. She had no idea where she was going, and would most likely get lost in the dark. She knew, but she didn't care. Anywhere was better than here, with him.

"He's using you, Katara!" Jet tried again. She froze, suddenly furious.

"How dare you-You don't even know what you're talking about!"

"His name is Zuko. He's the _Prince_ of the Fire Nation. The future ruler of the people who killed your mother. And he's been banished until he brings Aang to his _dear_ father." Katara opened her mouth to protest. But she couldn't argue with what she knew to be true. Jet continued: "Nine weeks ago, he gave you food when Appa was hurt." Katara spun on her heel. Her entire body had suddenly become cold.

"How did you find out about that?" she demanded.

"Later, he talked you into spending a month with him on that ship of his."

"He did not! I convinced him to do it. I did it to save Aang!" her face was pale now.

"He just made you think that it was your idea, Katara," Jet said. His voice was soothing, full of comfort. And pity. "He's been manipulating you the entire time. He's using you to get at Aang."

"That isn't true!" she cried, backing away from him.

"That isn't all," he continued, coming ever closer. "He knows you care about him. He knows you'll forgive him for anything."

"Shut up!" He stepped omenously close, gently taking her shoulders in his hands.

"He watches you while you bathe, Katara. And he does things to you while you're asleep. If you stay with him, you'll only get hurt."

"_Like you hurt me_?" she demanded. She felt as though she was being force fed poisoned wine. There was no way to drown out his voice. No way to make him stop.

She pushed against his chest, but he wouldn't release her.

"Katara, what I did was wrong. I know it. And I'm sorry. And that's why I can't just look the other way while he uses you like this. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. Please, Katara."

Jet suddenly wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close, tangling his hands in her hair as he kissed her.

* * *

Zuko's blood froze in his veins. He wanted nothing more to kill Jet, to cut him to shreds and watch him burn. He wanted to make him suffer for touching Katara.

But his legs felt like lead. He was rooted to the ground, helpless, freezing to death while she was in the arms of another man.

He felt horror. Anger. Grief. Rage. And cold, empty nothingness as he tried to push the image from reality. As he tried to wish the scene before him into lies.

_Please, Katara. Please no. Don't let him do this to you. Please._

_Get away from her, you monster. Don't touch Katara. I should have killed you when I had the chance. Get away from Katara. _

Katara's leg shifted. Her foot crept up slowly, almost imperceptibly.

Jet cried out as she slammed her heel fiercely on his foot. Katara used the moment's shock to pull away from him, a furious glare on her face.

"Don't ever-" her words cut off, her entire face jerked to the side as Jet struck her across the cheek.

Zuko's heart resumed its beat.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he roared, drawing his swords. He couldn't use Firebending. He wouldn't risk hurting her.

Three more rebels sprang from the trees, but Zuko dodged past them. They didn't matter. He had only two goals: save Katara and kill Jet. Nothing else mattered. He lunged forward, his blades poised for the boy's throat-and suddenly it was Katara's frightened face before him. He stopped short, twisting his hands to the side so the blades wouldn't cut her.

Jet had twisted Katara around and now held her by the hair at the nape of her neck. Her head was pulled violently back, exposing her throat, as he pressed a long dagger against the unprotected skin. She tried to struggle, but couldn't break free of his grip. Zuko moved as quickly as a snake, moving around Katara to slash at her captor from the side-but his opponent turned, once more dragging her to stand between them.

"Take another step and she dies," Jet snarled. Zuko raised his sword defiantly, about to leap to another attack. Jet's dagger flashed, and Katara gasped. A thin line of blood appeared across her neck.

Zuko's hand dropped instantly. He was fast. But he wasn't swift enough to save her from that blade.

"Get away from her," he said again.

"Drop your weapons." Reluctantly, Zuko obeyed. Jet jerked his head, signaling the three other rebels.

"Don't hurt her," Zuko said. He was half commanding and half begging now. One of the rebels, a huge one, built like a bear, barreled into him, throwing him to the ground. Zuko tried to roll away from a second assault, instinctively moving one hand to send a fiery punch at his attacker.

And then he caught sight of Jet, glaring coldly at him and adjusting his grip on his prisoner. His meaning was clear: if Zuko fought back now, Katara would be killed.

He dug his hands into the ground and braced himself as the blows rained out.

He wouldn't cry out. He wouldn't flee. There was worse pain than this. There were worse things to lose than his health. Only the sharp hiss as he sucked in his breath revealed his torment. One of the smaller rebels took out a knife and slashed against his back.

Zuko heard Katara cry out, and immediately his head snapped up, desperate to see if she was hurt. Jet had loosed his grip on her hair, grabbing her arms instead, though the knife never left her throat. She was staring down at Zuko, horror and remorse falling like rain from her eyes.

"Stop this, Jet," she begged, struggling against her captor, despite the steel that dug into her throat. "Please stop this."

"No, Katara," Jet said coldly. "He has to die."

"No! Please...please stop it. Please. I'll do whatever you want. Just stop it. Leave him alone." She was sobbing now.

Zuko stared up at her. His vision was swimming, but he could still make out the blood dripping from her throat. Yet she wasn't even concerned about that. She was worried about him. Crying for him.

A slight smile flickered across his lips.

In all of his memory, nobody else had ever shed tears on his behalf.

"Do you mean that, Katara?" Jet asked, staring in disgust at the fallen Prince. She nodded, trying to add another plea, but choking on her tears.

_No...Katara..._ Zuko's mind was reeling. He felt like he was looking up at her through a thick fog. _You don't have to do that. No..._

"Whatever you want. Just stop hurting him."

_I'm so sorry, Katara._ His head fell forward as the last remnants of consciousness left him.

* * *

Katara stared emptily across the room at Zuko. The gashes on his back had been cleaned and wrapped, as had the cut on her throat. But he still hadn't woken.

He was still alive, though savagely injured and bound with iron chains. He was a prisoner now. A hostage, kept only to make her cooperate.

She winced. What exactly did that include? What was Jet planning? Another flood? Some kind of raid? Did he plan to use her against Aang?

"I'm sorry, Zuko," she said quietly, though she knew he couldn't hear. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Her wrists were tied together, as were her ankles, though the gesture was unnecessary. She was too dizzy from shock and blood loss to try to escape just yet.

And even if she could, she wouldn't leave without Zuko. She wouldn't leave him at the mercy of this madman.

Jet pushed aside the door flap as he entered the room. He shot a venomous glare at Zuko before turning to Katara.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his voice sweet and kindly. Katara didn't look at him.

"You can skip the charade, Jet. If you cared how I felt, you wouldn't have slit my throat to begin with."

"Katara, I didn't want to hurt you. I really wish it hadn't turned out like that." He spoke to her as though she was a naughty toddler. "But he forced me to. He would have killed us all. Try to understand."

"There's nothing _to_ understand," she said. Jet sighed mournfully.

"It's all right, Katara. I know what you're dealing with. He's been feeding you lies. He's been toying with your mind. But you're stronger than that. I know you are. You don't have to listen to his propaganda."

"The only one spouting lies here is you."

"Think about what I said, Katara. He's no good. Especially not for you."

"Since when do _you_ decide what's good for me and what isn't?"

"Sokka doesn't like him either, does he?" Katara's eyes flicked to the side. It was true.

"Sokka was the one who invited him."

"But does he trust him? Does he like him? Is he happy that that monster is staying with you?" Katara didn't answer, though her silence spoke volumes.

"Your brother is pretty smart, Katara. He's got good instincts. And he can see that slimeball for what he really is." Katara grimaced. She'd had more than enough of this.

"What do you want from me, Jet?" she asked. He knelt by her side and cupped her face in his hand.

"For now, I just want you to think about what I've said." Without another word, he stood and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: 21 days until the new episodes arrive! YAY! And nobody from Nickelodeon has notified me that they're going to be using any of my ideas yet, so I feel pretty confident in saying that I still own nothing.

AN: Thank you all for your reviews and your sympathy. I am happy to say that I'm getting at least five hours of sleep every night now and my teachers are finally backing off in regards to homework. So life is good, and more chapters are on the way. Maybe...around Thursday. Perhaps later if my teachers decide to return to their evil ways. But no later than Saturday.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Zuko wearily opened his eyes.

"He really doesn't like me, does he?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light. It didn't work. Katara looked shocked at first and then very uncomfortable.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm awake and tied up. It's an improvement." They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally Zuko spoke.

"He kissed you." His voice was quiet, and carefully drained of emotion. He struggled to sit up, despite the heavy chains that locked his arms to his sides. His wrists and ankles had also been bound, leaving him practically helpless. It was infuriating. Meanwhile, Katara's eyes drifted through the room.

"Yeah. He did," she said at last.

Silence.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"What?"

"I asked if you liked it. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Why did you go with him, Katara? You knew that he's dangerous. What were you doing?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Katara protested, starting to grow angry. "Do you think I expected that?"

"He snuck up on you to watch you bathe. What do you think he was after, your hairbrush?"

"Well, you would know, wouldn't you?" she snapped. "Because a few days ago, you were doing the _same thing!_"

"They have nothing to do with each other!"

"Don't they? How do you figure, Zuko?"

"That's not even the point! I'm trying to protect you, and I can't do that when you run off _flirting_ with psychopaths like _him_!" Katara looked as though she had been struck, but she quickly rebounded.

"Like him? And what about you? Who's going to protect me from you?"

"What?" he demanded.

"What about when you get mad? What about when you get that look in your eye? What happens when you lose control, Zuko? Who's going to 'protect me' then?" she paused, staring flagrantly at him. He returned her gaze, searching her eyes. Somewhere in the midst of the conversation, they had started shouting at one another, and the sudden silence was deafening.

"I won't hurt you," Zuko said at last. His voice sounded raw and strangled.

"Won't you?" Katara asked quietly. Zuko didn't reply, but drew back his head, turning his golden stare to the ceiling. But it held no answers for him.

* * *

In the silence, Katara's temper simmered and cooled. She stared at Zuko. 

He looked weary. Hurt. But not yet defeated. She knew that if she tried to argue with him again, he would fight back. It was the same with Sokka. Right and wrong didn't matter, as long as you didn't admit defeat.

Jet approached, a slight smile on his face. Evidently he had heard them fighting.

_I'd be amazed if Aang and Sokka didn't hear_, she thought grimly.

"I've got a job for you, Katara," Jet said. His voice was smooth and sweet. He offered her a look of comfort and sympathy as he knelt beside her, untying the knots that held her ankles. He did the same to her wrists and helped her to her feet. She stood, rubbing her swore wrists to restore the flow of blood.

"Come on," Jet said gently.

Katara felt her gaze drift between the two young men. They were so different. Where Jet was cool, calm, and sweet, Zuko was fiery, wild, temperamental. One was scarred and angry, the other whole and proud.

"Katara?"

"Just give me a second," she said quietly, and she knelt in front of Zuko, wrapping him in a hug. Zuko could only look at her, his face revealing his surprise. His chains clinked as he tried in vain to return the embrace.

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Zuko." Over her shoulder, Zuko saw Jet's face contorted with a mixture of intrigue and disgust. The rebel put a firm hand on Katara's shoulder, and he pulled her to her feet and away from the Firebender. By the time Katara turned to look at him, Jet's face had recovered its placid expression.

* * *

"Tell me you don't still believe that liar," Jet said to Katara as he led her across one of the suspended walkways. 

"It doesn't matter what I believe," she said quietly. "He's beaten and chained. You've already won, Jet. The least I can do is show him _some_ mercy."

"He's Fire Nation," Jet said coolly. "He doesn't understand that kind of thing." Katara shrugged.

"Maybe not. But then it's my job to make him understand." Jet studied her for a moment, then rested his hand on her shoulder.

"You're sweet, Katara," he said. "This world needs more people like you." Katara mumbled something, trying to shrug off the compliment. "I mean it," Jet said, turning her head toward him, and gently kissing her.

Katara smiled shyly and diverted her eyes.

She knew she'd made the right choice.

* * *

Zuko swore. Everything was wrong. Absolutely, unforgivably _wrong!_ He struggled again against his bonds, hoping vainly to break them, to destroy the treacherous metal and follow Katara and bring her back and...and... 

He uttered a loud, wordless cry of frustration. The chains were digging into his lacerated skin, Katara was gone, Jet was keeping both of them as prisoners, and if that monster got his way, he would soon have Katara eating out of the palm of his hand.

_It...isn't...FAIR_!

He cried out again, a few small flames issuing from his mouth as the bonds bit deeper into an open cut.

He heard a soft click, and the pressure on his chest abated slightly. He shook his shoulders, and the chains that enveloped his arms began to fall away. Further struggling loosed the chains, until at last they fell in a confused heap around him.

Curious, he glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of his bound wrists.

The knot that held them together had been nearly untied. A few minutes of silent maneuvers was all that was necessary to free his hands. Not waiting to regain the feeling in his fingers, he fumbled with the bonds that held his ankles. He staggered to his feet and regained his bearings. In the corner, in a barrel with some other supplies, were his swords.

_That was a bad move, Jet,_ he thought venomously as he fastened them across his smarting shoulders.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Katara asked quietly. 

"A Fire Nation camp," Jet told her. "We'll be there soon."

"Oh."

"I want you to start the attack, Katara. Use your Waterbending to knock as many soldiers down as you can, and keep them from fighting back. Make sure they don't hurt anyone on our team."

"Will anyone else be at the camp? Any innocent people?"

"None," he assured her, his fingers dancing through her hair. "Only soldiers and traitors."

* * *

"He's escaped!" one of the rebels shrieked. 

"Not for long," another growled, charging at his prisoner. He was the bearlike one. Pipsqueak, Jet had called him. The smaller one was called Smellerbee. Zuko's eyes glittered angrily.

"Get out of my way," he snarled.

"Not a chance!" Smellerbee squeaked. Zuko threw his fist forward, showering his attackers in a barrage of flames, and raced past them. He didn't know if they were following him, or if they fled, or even if they died. And in all sincerity, he didn't care. He paid no mind to the fires that spread to the parched trees, an angry refuse from his attacks as he fought his way past the remaining rebels.

But whether he cared or not, the trees began to burn, and a pillar of smoke rose from the forest, stretching to meet the dawn.

* * *

Sokka woke quickly. He had been plagued with awful dreams, and he was more than eager to get out of the forest and away from Jet. He sat up and looked for his sister. 

She wasn't there.

Neither was Zuko.

Sokka swore loudly.

"I told them not to go sneaking off together!" he seethed. Aang sat up, startled from sleep by the outburst.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Zuko and Katara..." his voice trailed off as his eyes fell on the ground by Katara's sleeping bag. The ground was oddly disturbed, and her bag had been kicked away to an awkward position. He looked up for any further sign of his sister. There was none, but on one of the branches above their heads, he spotted a set of unnatural incisions. "...Jet," he realized, bolting to his feet with another oath. "Come on, Aang." He grabbed most of their supplies and heaved them onto Appa's back. Within minutes, they were in the air.

* * *

Jet went rigid as the acrid scent of smoke drifted through the trees, though his grip didn't tighten on the rope that carried them to the forest's floor. Katara shifted slightly to look over her shoulder. 

_He's escaped_.

Her gaze turned to the ground. They were still several dozen feet in the air. A dizzying distance, in some respects, though she had been higher on Appa's back. She took a deep breath and said a quick prayer.

Two dozen feet. Close enough.

Her hand shot up and she grabbed the rope that was looped around Jet's wrist, pulling the loop over his hand.

And then she kneed him in the stomach. The rebel's grip on the rope loosed for an instant, and she jerked it free from his grip. He plunged down, but his arm was still wrapped around her, holding him aloft. His breath was heavy, though his eyes flashed with confusion and anger.

Another deep breath.

And she released the rope.

* * *

Zuko grabbed one of the rebels as he fled. The fire was spreading furiously, and flames danced all around him. 

The boy trembled. Surely this was no normal Firebender. Jet had captured a demon! For what else could the golden eyed creature be? What else could break through those chains? And now it was angry and out for revenge. What had Jet done? Why?

"Where is he? Where is Jet?" Zuko hissed, bringing his face an inch away from the boy's. His captive squeaked pitifully.

"A-at the Fire Nation camp," the boy spluttered, pointing desperately. "That way."

"Is Katara with him?" Zuko demanded. The boy looked up at him in confusion. "The girl. Is she with him?"

The rebel nodded, and Zuko tossed him aside.

"Get out of here," he said, racing away.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. At all.

AN: You might recognize something familiar in this chapter. If not, that's okay. Thank you all for your reviews, suggestions, etc. You guys are really great.

And yes, I do hate Jet with a passion. Just like all of you, it seems.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Katara and Jet fell to the ground in the absence of reality. The brilliant light of dawn battled against the raging glow of nearby wildfire, as though angels and demons made war in the dense foliage. And here were two! Both fallen, both stripped of their wings as they plummeted to their doom...

Jet struck Katara, his armored hands cutting scores into her cheek. But she didn't let go of his chest. There could be no chance of him escaping unharmed. She had to make sure he wouldn't be able to escape to the trees, that he couldn't run away. Because as much as she hated hurting people, she hated him more.

He used her, manipulated her, lied to her, _kissed_ her. He had kidnapped Sokka and tried to slaughter a defenseless village, he had Zuko beaten and bound like some kind of animal. And always, always he said the same thing: Fire Nation. Blame the Fire Nation.

And frankly, she'd had _enough_.

They hit the ground with a terrible _crunch_.

* * *

Sokka and Aang stared into the fire. It had already spread to much of the valley, hastened by dry leaves and debris. But they both recognized the ruins of the wildfire's origin.

"Jet's hideout," Aang muttered. He turned to Sokka. "Did Zuko do this? Or did the Fire Nation finally catch Jet?" Sokka stared down at the wreckage.

"I don't know," he said finally. "And I don't care. All that matters is that Katara's down there somewhere."

* * *

Katara pulled herself away from Jet's still form. She was stunned, dazed, but not grievously hurt. Her 'cushion' had prevented the fall from doing any real damage. Jet had hit the ground before her, and she had landed on top of him. If the impact of the fall hadn't knocked him out, the second effectively did, and Jet now lay sprawled out on the ground, still alive, though not conscious.

This suited Katara perfectly. She rolled off him and staggered to her feet. She shook her head to clear it and started walking. Back to the hideout. Back to Zuko. And once they were together, they could look for Sokka and Aang. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

* * *

Jet's eyes flickered open. They danced across the flaming forest, the rope that hung uselessly in the air far above him, slowly being consumed by fire, and rested finally on Katara just before she disappeared from sight.

He swore and tried to sit up. His head was pounding, but he could handle pain.

_Katara...that treacherous filthy harlot...already running back to her monster prince..._ He drew his swords and used them as crutches to lift himself from the ground. _She doesn't deserve a quick death...that kind of mercy is too good for a traitor like her._ His eyes narrowed in satisfaction.

His hideout was surely in ruins by now. Tree houses could be rebuilt.

His team was no doubt scattered. They would be easy to find, and just as easy to replace.

But Katara was running right into the heart of the fire. Back to her precious lover.

_You like playing with fire? Then you can burn_.

* * *

Zuko pushed his way through the wreckage, his mind slowly being edged with panic. The fire was spreading quickly—too quickly, and he had yet to find Katara. But she was with Jet. That much was clear. And when he found him...

_Save that for later_, he reminded himself. _Find them first. Kill him later_. Brutal flames were already spreading through the canopy of the trees, casting an eerie light on him, though it was steadily diminishing, replaced by pale sunlight. The Fire Nation camp shouldn't be too far away...

* * *

Katara stumbled, nearly falling into a burning branch as it plunged into her path. Jet was at her heels; she could hear him shouting, catch a glimpse of his face as he pursued her. She only managed to come near the river once, and Jet was immediately on her, lashing at her with his blades before she could bend the water to her aid. He was keeping her away from water, and she knew it. He was keeping her defenseless, reducing her to a frightened child, running into the cover of smoke to escape her pursuer. She had to find Zuko. Zuko, or Sokka, or Aang...

She had to find them. They would know what to do.

Around her, the air grew thick and oppressive as the fires snaked their way down the trees' mammoth trunks. It was nearly impossible to see anything but smoke and fire, to navigate more than a few feet before her. Even breathing was becoming difficult as the smoke filled her lungs, drowning her in the tainted air.

* * *

Jet retreated from the deadly fire, following the creek to safety. Katara was in complete panic now. By the time she realize that he was no longer chasing her, she would be trapped in the blaze and burn to death like the ugly witch she was. Assuming she didn't asphyxiate first.

A powerful sword suddenly cut into his back, shattering his thoughts.

"_Where is she_?" the blade's owner snarled, grabbing him by the shirt. Jet found himself staring into the hideous face of Prince Zuko. Instinctively he reached for his own swords, but he was stopped as the wind rushed from his lungs, driven away by a brutal fist now embedded in his gut.

"What have you done with her?" Zuko demanded. "_Where is Katara_?" Jet was silent for a few moments, regaining his breath in wordless dignity, all the while staring defiantly into his enemy's eyes.

"I've done nothing to her," he said at last, as smooth and calm as though he was speaking to his own teammates. Zuko snarled angrily and shook Jet by his collar.

"_Liar_!" The rebel permitted the attack, a confident smile slowly creeping across his face. "Where is she?"

"Don't you know?" Jet asked easily. "Funny. You should."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko demanded. Jet's smirk did not fade. _His chains may be gone,_ he observed, _but he's still nothing but a caged animal._

_And I'm still in control._

"Because the little traitor went back to you. Just now. Or don't you remember?"

"_What_ are you _talking_ about?" Zuko asked again, his voice dangerously low. The Firebender was cornered and he knew it.

"Don't you? She went in there," Jet shrugged at the blazing forest. Zuko immediately turned slightly to glance over his shoulder, as though expecting Katara to walk out of the trees.

_What's wrong, you disgusting monster? Do you miss your little mistress? You make a fitting couple. A witch and a beast._

"That's right," Jet continued smoothly. "If you hurry, you might still be able to find her corpse." His smirk widened as he watched the color drain from Zuko's face.

"What did you do to her?" he rasped.

"I didn't do anything. You did. You've already killed her."

"Shut up, you _liar_!" Zuko nearly screamed, trying to strike Jet again. But the rebel leaned back, evading the worst of the blow. The attack held almost no pain, and even that dwindled compared to the satisfaction behind it.

_I've struck a nerve. Haven't I, Zuko? I've got you scared now_.

"You heard me. I didn't start those fires. _You_ did. I didn't force Katara to come with me. I didn't even make her stay. Not like _you_ did. And now you've killed her."

"I didn't," Zuko protested. A tension clouded his voice that had nothing to do with anger. "She's still alive. I've done nothing to her." Jet easily broke his grip and stepped back.

"Nothing? Seduction, manipulation, deception... that's a lot of nothing, Zuko. You've taken her away from her _family_. You attacked her _home_. You made her life a living purgatory since you met her."

"That's not true!" He was weakening. It was obvious now. Zuko's own inner doubts, all of his fears, were now as plain as day to the rebel.

"And now you've killed her. But her death won't be in vain, Zuko. I'm going to make sure of that." With no other warning, he lunged forward, his poisoned knife poised for Zuko's throat. And, just as he had expected, Zuko did nothing. He only stared at the blade, looking numb and guilty as sin.

He wouldn't fight back if he believed himself deserving of death.

The Firebender's hand suddenly shot out, grabbing Jet's wrist, forcing the knife away.

"She's not dead," he said again. "And you won't ever hurt her again." A blast of flame rushed at Jet, but he dodged to the side, once more breaking free of Zuko's grip. He drew his swords and struck again at the Firebender. The attack was parried by the curved broadswords, and the attack returned, accompanied by another blast of flame.

* * *

"I see something!" Aang shouted to be heard above the roaring fires. Sokka followed Aang's gaze, his eyes resting at last on two figures dancing through the burning foliage below them.

"That's definitely not Katara," he said. A burst of flame reduced a nearby branch to ashes.

"But that's Zuko. She can't be too far away," Aang reasoned, steering Appa closer to the figures. They finally recognized the second fighter.

"What in the world is Jet doing there?" Sokka demanded.

"He lives here, doesn't he?" Aang pointed out.

"That's not what I mean. Why are they fighting? And _now_ of all times?" Aang had no answer for this.

* * *

The fighters were perfectly matched. They moved like lightning, dancing around one another, striking with ethereal grace.

Zuko was the stronger. He had fire at his command, he had years of training and brutal force behind his attacks.

Jet was the swifter. He had prepared solely to battle Firebenders, had memorized every inch of the forest. Every root became a foothold for him, every branch became a shield. He could evade attack, could strike back when it suited him.

Zuko couldn't land a blow as long as Jet dodged away. Even with both of his hooked swords, Jet couldn't come close enough to harm Zuko. Jet was wounded. Zuko was exhausted. They were locked in a stalemate, trapped in a deadly dance. Only the clash of swords accompanied their movements, resonating through the hot air like the knells of a gong. No more breath was wasted on useless curses.

Because whoever faltered would die.

* * *

Appa landed in the shallow water of the creek, safely away from the fire, and from the whirlwind of steel and flame that swirled around Zuko and Jet.

Aang searched desperately through the smoky air.

"Sokka, she's not here," he said. Sokka shook his head.

"Do you think she got away?"

"I don't know."

Zuko felt himself begin to slow. His breath was becoming heavy, his steps unsteady.

_I can't keep this up much longer_.

A parried blow. A dodged burst of flame. A kick that struck only air. Jet was slowing, too. But that made little difference. Because Zuko didn't care about being Jet's equal. He needed to _beat_ the rebel.

_You'll never hurt her again._

He stumbled forward and stood there, unmoving for an instant. Jet recognized the opportunity and seized it hungrily. One sword shot out, delivering a crippling blow to Zuko's side--

But one of the Dao broadswords shot out, catching the hooked blades in mid swing, mollifying the attack. With his other sword, Zuko delivered an equal blow to his opponent. Not releasing Jet's blade, he turned the unhindered sword, smashing its blunt edge into the rebel's shoulder. He heard a sickening snap and a strangled cry of pain as Jet's collarbone broke.

A final kick sent the rebel to the ground in a heap. Zuko stared down at him. It would be so easy to finish it. There and then. He had one chance. Just one punch would destroy Jet, would keep Katara safe forever.

_Safe from who?_

_'What happens when you lose control, Zuko? Who's going to 'protect me' then?_'

"If you..." Zuko growled, trying to steady his breath. "If you _ever_ touch her again... I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Jet nodded meekly, struggling to regain his breath.

Zuko said no more. He glanced at Aang and Sokka, but otherwise did not acknowledge them as he staggered away from the rebel.

"Zuko!" Sokka said suddenly, jogging to the Firebender's side. Zuko wouldn't meet his eyes. "Zuko, where is Katara?" Jet started to make a noise, but he was silenced by a cold glare from the Prince.

"I don't know."

"What?" Aang cried.

"I'll find her!" Zuko said, angry at everything. At Jet, at himself, at the stupid gash in his side...

"Not like that, you're not," Aang said. He bit his lip. "Stay with Appa. Sokka and I will look for her." Zuko shook his head.

"I'm coming too."

"No, you're not."

"I'm _going_ to look for her!"

"Fine," Sokka said heatedly. "Then you can look from the air. You might see her."

"I doubt it," Zuko said. "Jet said that she ran into the fire."

"'Jet said?' What was she doing with him? Where were you?" Aang asked suddenly.

"I was tied up in his stupid tree house. And she was being held at knife point." Zuko was struggling to control his temper now. He sent a menacing glance at Jet, but the defeated rebel no longer lay on the ground where Zuko had left him. Jet was nowhere to be seen.

Unaware of this, Sokka groaned. It was clearly easy to tell what had happened.

"And then she got away and tried to get back to you?" he finished.

"According to the Worm, yes."

Sokka swore. "Fine. Aang, go follow the creek. Katara's smart, she'll head for water. Zuko, you get back to Appa. I'll look for her on the ground." Aang nodded and rushed to the water's edge, his pace quickened by the wind.

"That won't work," Zuko argued.

"Why not?"

"You have no idea which way she's going, and I don't know how to fly your bison—"

"Simple. Pull the reigns and say 'yip yip'."

"—not that he'll let me steer. And you're sure to get turned around in the fire. I just came from there. I know where to go."

"For crying out loud, you're bleeding! You can't run around down here!" It was no lie. The gash on Zuko's side was long, though shallow, and it still bled freely.

"That doesn't matter," Zuko said. He was seething with pain that had nothing to do with the cut. "I'm responsible for this. _Let me look for her_."

For a silent moment, he and Sokka stared each other down, fighting an unseen battle between judge and defender.

_You've already killed her_, Jet's sneering voice echoed through Zuko's mind.

_No. No. She's all right. She's still alive. I'll bring her back. I have to_.

"Fine," Sokka said at last. "Hurry."

Zuko barely heard him, not pausing before he raced into the blaze.

Because Jet was still loose.

* * *

Katara ducked her head but kept running, trying desperately to escape.

"Sokka! Aang! Zuko!" she shouted again and again, interrupted only by coughing fits. Her throat and lungs burned, coated by the thick, acrid smoke, but she dared not stop calling for help. The trees around her were wreathed in flame, their dry branches igniting almost instantly, surrounding her in fire on nearly every side. But the inferno wasn't the only danger.

Jet was angry now. He was after her. And his earlier shouts made it all too clear that he would kill her if he caught her. His cries had silenced several minutes before, but that only fueled her fear. He could be anywhere, everywhere, lying in wait with his cold blades...

"Sokka! Aang! Zu-" her cry fell apart into desperate coughing. The smoke and fires left her dizzy, disoriented, and she was quickly losing her wit to panic. A flaming branch fell from the glowing canopy, blocking her path. She stumbled to avoid it, and turned to flee in another direction, but she saw only flames. Fire, fire, fire, on every side, creeping closer through the death shroud of smoke.

She was trapped.

Powerful arms grabbed her from behind, and she nearly screamed, only to be gagged by the smoke.

_Jet_.

She lost all control. She tried to scream again, she thrashed violently, clawing at her captor's arms, drawing blood, fighting like a wild beast to escape his grip.

Her opponent clapped one hand over Katara's mouth and nose, and she tried again to cry out.

And she realized that she could breathe.

Hot air filled her mouth and nose and lungs, sifted through a rough, thick fabric, filtering out the acrid smoke. The air that now streamed through her body tasted familiar.

"Don't move," she heard Zuko mutter into her ear. "I've got you. As long as you're with me, you're safe. Calm down. I'll keep you safe."

Katara felt tears well into her eyes. Relief and elation mixed within her, replacing the panicked rush that had once flooded her clouded mind. She felt suddenly drained, heavy, exhausted.

Her knees buckled and Zuko caught her, lowering her gently to the ground. She stared up at him, her eyes sparkling with happiness, gratitude, disbelief, and suddenly fear. Zuko looked up and saw flaming debris hailing down at them. His hand shot out, and a wave of fire reduced the rubble to harmless ashes.

The flames roared higher around them, licking at their clothes. Katara tried to scoot from their reach, burying her face in Zuko's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, shielding her face and torso from the fire. He emptied his mind of all fear and thought. Every fiber of his being focused on the surrounding flames, willing them lower, lower...

He drew in a long, deep breath, and another, another, with each exhale pulling the fires closer to the ground, blotting their heat. Katara drew away from him slightly, glancing at the diminishing flames in wonder. Zuko opened his eyes and rose silently to his feet, helping Katara up after him. Still wordless, still absolutely focused, he guided her to the edge of the flames, watching them recede at his approach, bowing to the earth. Katara tried to step over them, but they bit defiantly at her feet. She pulled in a sharp breath and pulled closer to Zuko. He gazed at her for a moment, then gathered her up in his arms, lifting her from the ground.

"Oh!" was Katara's soft exclamation, but she remained still. Zuko smiled softly and began walking forward, into the inferno.

Obediently the flames fell away, and he carried her safely out of reach of their sting. He wasn't sure how long or how far he carried her, but he didn't stop. Not until his feet brought him to the sloping bank of the creek.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: How much do I own? Let me count the ways: none, zero, zilch, nothing, invalid, quantity x over zero, nichts, equal to the number of gills on my throat, greater than negative twelve and less than zero...

AN: You guys are great. I'm posting this chapter a bit early, thanks to lots of influence from a friend...who has kindly noticed that I'm not too fond of Jet. And, as the reviews illustrate, neither are you. But honestly, could Zuko have killed him like that? When he was (relatively) helpless and wounded? As much as I would have cheered him on, it would not have ended well. So he remains on the loose... Oh yes, and I've got an extra segment at the end of the chapter. It has no relevence to the story, so don't confuse it for anything important, but it would make no sense by itself. Read at your own risk.

AN: Okay, I'm reposting this. If you liked the part with Michael J. Fox (which had absolutely NO relevence to the story. It never happened. It was an idle musing that my eighteen year old brother had me post. DON'T CONFUSE IT WITH THE REST OF THE STORY!) You can find it in the Avatar's Guide to Problem Solving, which has just been converted into my official Omake/Spoof file (Which is what it was in the first place...).

Sorry about the confusion.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Zuko released Katara, gently lowering her to the ground at the water's edge.

"Are you all right?" he asked her through the fabric screen that covered his mouth.

"I'm fine," Katara lied. She was obviously hurt - several bruises and burns flecked her skin, her clothes had been irreparably charred. Of course, he wasn't much better - his own clothes were burnt and stained crimson, the gashes on his back and side had reopened, and new burns marred his arms and legs and face. Fresh scratches thatched his arms as well, where Katara had tried to fight him a few minutes before. She looked at these with remorse.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm sorry about..."

"Don't worry about it," Zuko insisted. "You were panicked. You didn't know what you were doing."

"I'm still sorry," she said, then hesitated. "Do you mind if I try something?" She stepped into the water until her feet were submerged.

"Go ahead." Zuko was intrigued now. Whatever she was planning, it involved Waterbending, and that was always fascinating. The movements that accompanied the art were spellbinding, perfectly smooth, graceful and serene...It suited her perfectly.

His wounds faded from his mind as he watched her pull a small sphere from the water, no larger than a pearl. She stepped forward and reached for Zuko, allowing her hand to hover just above his scored arm. Zuko watched in wonder as a cool tingling sensation spread through his wrist, intensifying in places where his skin had been broken or burned. Katara's eyes were narrowed in concentration as she moved her hands slowly across his arm, soothing away the pain of his injuries. The wounds still remained, though the water in her hand cleaned them of blood and debris, and they felt far more comfortable. After a few minutes, she stopped, finished with his arms, and offered him a hesitant smile.

"Is that any better?" she asked. Zuko nodded contentedly.

"It's perfect. Did you make that up on your own?" He had not forgotten her water purifying trick. Katara shook her head.

"Aang taught me. He learned it at the North Pole...It's supposed to speed healing..." she hesitated, and a blush began to creep across her cheeks. "...And can you take off your shirt for me?" Zuko was again reminded of how cute Katara could be when she was embarrassed. She didn't need to explain herself, but the request was awkward. Obediently, Zuko removed the now ragged garment. "Thanks..."

Zuko couldn't help smiling at himself. Katara was making a noticeable effort not to stare at his bare chest as she drew her hands across his wounds. She had seen him without his shirt before, but it had been a rather desperate situation, and modesty hadn't been much of a concern at the time. But her reaction was still quite satisfying.

Zuko made a mental note to keep up with his training.

Katara shifted her efforts to his back, soothing the wounds he had suffered during his capture. She followed the injuries to his shoulders, to his neck. Zuko bowed his head, allowing her to easily reach the knot that had formed on his skull, and better treat the fewer scratches that crossed his face. Her fingers danced just above his cheeks, but he could feel their cool ambiance within him. His eyes closed, his entire being suffused with comfort and peace.

For a moment he was blind to the harsh world, deaf to the roaring of the forest as it burned around them. They didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except for the two of them. And there was nothing in the world that could bring them apart.

As though she could read his thoughts, Katara rose onto her toes, bestowing a soft kiss on his lips, as mercurial as a melting snowflake. His eyes flickered open, gazing reverently into her clear eyes, and he leaned forward, more than happy to return her gesture.

"There you are!" The Avatar's voice froze him, a breath away from Katara, and pulled them both from the moment of serenity, reawakening reality. Zuko felt an unusual mixture of disappointment and relief to see Aang climbing across the creek's bank towards them. Katara's face had gained a rather cute blush in the last instant, and she was trying to compose herself. "Are you guys all right?"

"For the most part," Zuko took the liberty of answering.

"Did you run into Jet?"

"No. Did you?"

"Not yet. But he could be anywhere," he paused, suddenly noticing his friend's incriminating position. "Zuko, what happened to your shirt?"

"Nothing," Zuko said hastily, grabbing the garment from the ground.

"Right...you might want to put it back on before Sokka finds us." He sent Zuko a sidelong glance that reminded the Prince oddly of his uncle. Zuko shrugged and donned the shredded shirt, returning to his customary distance from Katara.

"Speaking of which," he said. "Does he have any idea where we are?"

"Not really. But he's with Appa, so it should work out." Zuko didn't really want to ask what the flying bison had to do with anything, considering that the sky was barely visible through the fiery canopy.

"That won't make much of a difference," Katara pointed out. "If Appa can't land. We'll need to find a clearing or something."

* * *

A shadow emerged from the smoldering remains of Jet's hideout, fingering a small vial. Jet approached it, frustration etched across his features. One of his arms hung uselessly at his side. 

"What are you doing?" he demanded. The other figure only examined the vial placidly, most of its face obscured by a silk mask.

"Amazing," it observed idly, turning the vial to examine from all angles. "The kinds of things that can survive such a fire..."

"You were here the entire time!" Jet seethed. "Why didn't you stop him? You wanted him dead, didn't you? Why didn't you-"

"I did not interfere because I chose not to," the other said calmly. "I have no use for his corpse just yet. And, if I recall, it was _your_ responsibility to keep him imprisoned."

"The chains you gave me broke! You said they would be able to hold him!" The other figure rolled its eyes and tossed a mass of steel cord at his feet. The bonds were scorched, but otherwise undamaged.

"You have no need to blame me for your faulty knot work."

"You told me that he'd be helpless. That he wouldn't fight back."

"I said no such thing. Only that the girl is his weakness. A fact which, may I note, proved more than true. While you threatened her, he was harmless. While you had her with you, he wouldn't dare touch you. Yet you chose to let her run off."

"And the things you told me to say-"

"I never instructed you to say anything to the girl. I gave you information. How you chose to use it was your own blunder. Knowledge," the figure observed sagely, drawing a sword with feline grace, examining the weapon. "Is a deadlier weapon than the sharpest blade." It turned its cold, dark eyes to the rebel. "You have nobody to blame for your failures except yourself."

"You promised that the Fire Nation wouldn't touch the valley."

"But it didn't. Prince Zuko was exiled two and a half years ago. In fact, there is currently a handsome bounty on his head, to be paid by none other than the Fire Lord."

"You're working for _him_?" Jet demanded.

"Funny. A few minutes ago, you weren't concerned about my employer."

"You filthy traitor! How dare you help the Fire Nation? How dare you use me-" the figure laughed.

"That's right. I used you. But it seems that you have proved yourself incompetent. I have no further need for you."

"No, you don't!" Jet snarled, drawing a hooked sword with his uninjured hand. "You're going to fix this. You're going to pay for what you did."

"You are out of time. Goodbye, Jet."

* * *

"Katara!" Sokka cried, nearly tackling his sister as he rushed forward to hug her. "You're alive!" He had been planning to say '_you're all right,_' but that phrase didn't exactly qualify. Burns, cuts, and a very large bruise on her side were visible through her thoroughly shredded clothes. Her hair had become a few inches shorter in the last few hours, when the end of her braid strayed into the fires. 

_But who cares what she looks like? She's alive!_

Zuko was in an equally ragged state, though the cut on his side had finally stopped bleeding. Aang was significantly better off, with only a few minor burns and singed clothes.

He wasted no time in gathering bandages from their supplies and beginning to wrap Zuko's wounds. Meanwhile Aang tended to Katara, using some Waterbending technique he had learned at the North Pole. Sokka privately swore never to shortchange any form of Bending again. Aang, Zuko, and Katara's painful coughing was remedied when they had something to drink. Sokka and Aang helped the other two into Appa's saddle, and they took to the air.

* * *

It didn't take long for Zuko and Katara to explain what had happened...though they didn't add any unnecessary details about the more incriminating moments. 

Katara, especially, wasn't excited about telling anyone how many times she had allowed Jet to kiss her. It had been necessary-she had needed Jet to lower his guard before she could escape, but there was nothing comfortable about his zealous affection. Every time he touched her, every fierce kiss he planted on her skin, was rewarded with a deceptive smile. She tried to play into the illusion, thinking only of Zuko, of his reserved adoration and his gentle lips... Jet certainly had charisma, but he didn't respect her.

He felt nothing, really, except bitterness and anger and infatuation and spite. The loss of his parents had mutilated his heart and left a hideous scar on his soul. Yet, as much as Katara tried, she couldn't bring herself to honestly hate him.

She pitied him. Feared him.

But she couldn't really hate him.

* * *

"What's going on?" Zuko asked several hours later, as Appa was beginning to descend from the protective cover of clouds. He kept his voice soft, so not to wake Katara, who was now draped comfortably across him in the confines of sleep. Amazingly enough, Sokka had allowed the proximity. It seemed that his opinion of Zuko had softened slightly in the last few hours. 

"We need more supplies," Sokka pointed out from the bison's head. "And there's a town down there."

"Is it that urgent?" He was far from admitting it, but Zuko wanted to put as much distance between Katara and Jet as possible.

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Aang chimed in. "Your clothes are in shreds, and we don't have any spare sets. And we're out of bandages, and aloe, too."

"And we don't have much food left either," Sokka added.

_Typical_... Zuko thought idly.

* * *

A bison in the sky wasn't difficult to follow; it flew in a generally straight line, high over smooth terrain. 

Cold eyes traced the beast's path through the heavens, pausing for a moment to glance at its destination.

A small town, at a crossroad. Large enough to allow four teenagers to lose themselves in a crowd. Small enough to avoid the Fire Nation's suspicion.

The shadowy figure spurred its mount into a gallop. It would take at least a day's hard ride to catch up to the Avatar, but it was now clear that reaching the small group was likely.

It wasn't perfect.

But it was all too satisfying.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: (to the tune of 'I Feel Pretty')  
_I own nothing  
Lots of nothing  
Nothing, and Zero, and Ziiiiiiiiilch!_

AN: Left you hanging for a while, didn't I? (longer than usual, anyway.) But I'm posting this in honor of TONIGHT"S NEW EPISODE! Which comes on in aproximately an hour and a half. I apologize for attempting the humor segment at the end of the last chapter. It was a real show of bad timing, and I won't do it again. I'll post all unrelated humor stuff in Avatar's Guide, so look for laughs there. As for future writing...I've got chapters 11 and 12 written, but it's taking a lot of effort to get them edited, so... who knows how that will work out. I haven't heard from my beta in a while (and with all the scary stuff going on lately, I really hope she's all right) so I edited this one by myself again. Please forgive any consequent tackiness. Anyway, enjoy the new episodes and the new chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"We're running low on money again," Katara pointed out, steering Aang away from a stall of 'curios'.

"Don't look at me," Sokka said. "I'm not the one who burned all my clothes to cinders." He shot a glare at Zuko, though it wasn't as cold as it could have been. His opinion of the Firebender was finally beginning to soften, but the change was a very subtle one, and he still didn't waste any chances to antagonize the other boy. Zuko said nothing about the accusation. Katara had already forgiven him for starting the fire, and he saw no need to explain it to Sokka _again_.

He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably as he tried to ignore the other boy—he was wearing Sokka's spare clothes, and they were rather tight on him. He had fared better than Katara, though—she was sporting an awkward culmination of her own charred rags, a blanket, and Aang's spare shirt. The group had already visited a tailor, but the new clothes had been expensive, and wouldn't be finished for another day at least. Most of the remaining money had been devoted to restocking their food and medical stores.

An uncomfortable prickle at the base of his neck told him that he was being watched. Cautiously he glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes landed on a pack of young women. Most of them had been gossiping while they bartered for fruit at a nearby stall, but their attention seemed to have gained a new target.

One of the girls, perhaps twelve, said something to her companions. Suddenly the entire group burst into childish giggles.

They reminded Zuko of a flock of loud, colorful birds.

"What are you staring at?" Aang asked, noticing the Prince's distracted glances.

"I think we're blocking somebody's view..." he said. At once he, Sokka, Aang and Katara turned to get a better look at the flock of girls.

The result was amazing. More than a dozen feminine faces turned deep red, accompanied by renewed fits of giggles and squeals. Several of the women began flapping their hands excitedly in the air.

There was no way they could have been mistaken for human.

Again the girls chattered rapidly amongst themselves, though all their wide eyes were glued on the Avatar's group. One of the oldest, a woman in her early twenties, started to speak. Zuko tried to listen, though her words were drowned out by the excited chirping of the other girls. The woman laughed and spoke again, and the others erupted into a hyper chorus:

"_Do it, do it, do it..._"

Again she laughed, and she left the group, walking confidently towards the Avatar and his companions. She was unusually thin, and her skin was slightly pale, even for the fair complexion of the Fire Nation, but she didn't hesitate as she approached.

"_Do it, do it, do it..._"

"She's actually going to do it!" one of the girls squealed, and the others fell into an awed hush. The woman wove languidly between Sokka and Zuko, her hands trailing smoothly across their shoulders.

"Hello there," she said. Her voice was silky and even, and she sifted her fingers through their hair.

The other girls erupted into long, ecstatic squeals.

"Hello," Aang said, rather flustered by the display. "Um...Are your friends going to be okay?" The woman chuckled.

"Don't worry about them. They're just excited."

"About what?" Zuko asked. The woman circled around him, not even a foot away. He felt like an animal on display.

"It isn't every day that three handsome young men come to this town," she said sweetly.

"Really?" Sokka quipped. The woman flashed him a winning smile.

"Of course. So you really must forgive them; they can be a bit... eccentric, but they're harmless enough. I take it that the four of you came here together?"

"I don't see why it matters," Katara said simply. The stranger's 'friendly' behavior was beginning to grate on her nerves, but she managed to keep her temper in check. The woman was right; there were surprisingly few men in this area, most likely they had been siphoned off as soldiers for the war. The girls here probably swooned for every male they saw. The fact that Zuko was included on this list was merely a coincidence.

_But does she honestly need to hang on him like that?_ Katara couldn't help thinking. _She's draped over him like a curtain!_

"It doesn't. I'm just curious," the woman shrugged. "But tell me, are your names open for public knowledge?"

"Yep," Sokka said too quickly. He didn't notice Katara's glare in his direction until the word had left his mouth. Of course they weren't! Aang and Zuko were outlaws. Advertising their names would come very close to suicide. "I mean..."

"That's Sokka," Katara said quickly. "He's my brother. And that's ...Haru," she pointed at Aang. "And that—" next was Zuko, and Katara found her mind blank.

"He's Kuzon," Aang finished steadily. The woman nodded, shifting her black gaze between the four visitors. While her eyes were on Sokka, Katara mouthed a quick 'thanks' at Aang.

"It's good to meet you. Tell me, are you hungry?"

"What?" Katara asked. The randomness of the question had caught her off guard.

"Are you hungry?"

"Sure," Sokka said, trying to look masculine, much to the delight of the still tittering girls. The woman nodded her approval.

"Good. Now watch this. Hey! You two!" she called to the girls in the gathering crowd. Which two she had acknowledged was unknown, because the entire flock moved forward as one, hopelessly surrounding the Avatar's group. "These men are hungry."

The flock erupted into a deafening roar.

"I can bring you some riceballs!"

"Do you like soup?"

"There's a great tavern nearby, do you want to come?"

"There's roast duck at my house!"

"What about fruit? Do you like leechy nuts?"

"Take your pick," the woman said. Zuko found his eyes growing wide. Absolute chaos surrounded him on every side, and every fiber of his body screamed at him to escape. Sokka, however, looked like he had finally reached heaven. Several of the girls had dashed off, returning minutes later with various parcels of food. These were eagerly offered to the three boys, and always accompanied with shrill squeals of joy as they were accepted. The flock tightened around Sokka, who was having the time of his life. Aang was in the process of being hugged by most of the unladen girls, while Katara struggled to dig her way out of the crowd.

"It looks like he's enjoying himself," the woman said calmly, gesturing at Sokka. Zuko nodded, trying to maintain his sanity within the confines of the writhing group. She glanced at him, then looked away again, turning her thoughtful gaze to the heavens, as though she could hear some divine wisdom through the squeals of the mob.

"You've got something on your chin, by the way," she pointed out. Zuko said nothing, but brushed his hand across his face, trying to rid himself of whatever it was, welcoming the distraction. She shook her head. "It's still there. Let me..." Without further warning, she brushed her fingers gracefully across his chin, sliding them up his cheek. She brought her face closer to his, until she was a few mere inches away, catching his golden eyes with her own nearly black orbs. He went completely rigid.

"Oooh!" one of the younger girls squealed, and the sound turned into an eerie howl as the others joined in. The woman retreated, watching with idle amusement as two of the younger girls raced up to Zuko, rapidly babbling about some incoherent rubbish. Several others joined her, and they forced him into the heart of the flock with Aang and Sokka.

Only Katara was spared. She finally emerged from the swiftly growing herd, staring coldly at the older woman.

"Hm...did I make you angry?" the woman mused. "I suppose you've got some claim on him, then? Ha...there's no harm in a little innocent flirting, is there? Surely you aren't worried that your dear Kuzon would be unfaithful...?" Katara's eyes narrowed mulishly.

"Of course not," she snapped. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Good," the woman said. "Though I suggest you move faster if you want to keep him."

"What?" Katara couldn't help but feel the back of her neck prickle at the sound of the challenge—or the threat.

"Exactly what I said. If you have a claim on him, stake it quickly, Katara. Or somebody else might beat you to it."

* * *

Zuko, meanwhile, was becoming the hapless victim of the woman's predictions as the girls flooded around him, chirping mercilessly. During the few moments when he could distinguish one voice from another, it became painfully clear that these girls were completely insane. Most of them were babbling on mindlessly about how good he looked and why he should spend the next few hours or days or years with them. A couple were determined to convince him to take off his shirt, and a third kept trying to guess how he had received his scar. Two were discussing what sounded suspiciously like wedding plans.

He found all of this rather alarming.

Women had never spared him much attention before Katara, and the sudden barrage of feminine admirers was more than slightly traumatizing. He wondered vaguely if he could fight his way out of the crowd, or if that would somehow provoke the giddy women even further. The girls were absolutely puzzling, though their bizarre nature seemed to have gone unnoticed by Sokka and Aang. These two eagerly lapped up the attention, performing little stunts and poses for their new admirers and being generously rewarded with offerings of food.

"Do you like children?" one of the newer members of the small mob asked eagerly.

"Oooh! Oooh! I'd like to have lots of kids," another quipped before he had a chance to reply. "Would you? Please?"

Zuko tried to back away, only to step into several more girls.

_This is insane_.

"Having fun?" he heard a blessedly familiar voice ask. Katara was half submerged in the crowd, elbowing and shoving her way past the rabid girls, though she was otherwise ignored. When they would let her go no further, she reached over the shoulders of some of the shorter fanatics, her hand extended just within Zuko's reach.

"Plenty of it," he said dryly, taking her hand. "I just wish it would stop." She helped pull him to the edge of the throng, though several of the girls scrambled around to continue encircling him. It wasn't too much of an improvement, but at least he was with Katara now. "How do we get rid of them?" he asked. Katara looked around thoughtfully for several moments, and then her face brightened.

"Like this," she said at last. She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his neck. They both heard several indignant cries, and multiple pairs of hands tugged at Katara's makeshift shirt, trying to drag her away from Zuko.

"Back off," she said to them, her voice edged with subtle confidence. "He's taken." The other girls started to protest, but she ignored them all, planting a sweet kiss on Zuko's lips.

The air exploded with a mixture of disappointed moans, adoring 'aaw!'s, and exaggeratedly excited squeals. The kiss hadn't ended before the members of the crowd got the message, reluctantly backing away to give their idol and his fiancée more room.

Sokka and Aang didn't fail to notice it either.

"You guys can stop now," Aang said, tapping Zuko. The Prince, for once in his life, made a point of ignoring the Avatar. Aang stared for a few moments in amazement before he turned to Sokka. "Don't they have to start breathing soon?" he asked. Sokka grimaced and grabbed Zuko's shoulders, pulling him back.

"That's enough," he said. "Now get _off_ my sister already!" He gave a decisive yank, and Katara reluctantly allowed her hands to slide from Zuko's shoulders. "You can back off any time now."

"He's got a point," the woman from before said with a soft laugh. "Come on, girls. Give these boys some room before you smother them." After minor debate, the mob obeyed, slowly moving back. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Business to do? I'm sure you all came to the market for a reason." Several pairs of eyes widened in sudden realization, and many of the girls dashed from the scene.

"Sweet girls, really," the woman noted with a shrug as the crowd thinned. "A bit eccentric. Very enthusiastic. But sweet, all the same."

"And they gave us food!" Sokka cheered. The woman glanced at him with mild amusement.

"Thanks for that," Aang said, stuffing several of the gifts his fans had given him into his bag.

"It was no bother at all," the woman insisted calmly. Her eyes flickered across the still crowded streets. "In fact, I think I benefited from it as much as you did."

"Really?" Aang asked. "How's that?" The woman chuckled and put her hand on his head, her palm resting on the straw hat that covered his tattoo.

"I think you'll see," she said. She smiled at the four of them and walked away, as confident and cool as when she had arrived. "I expect to see you soon," she called over her shoulder as she left.

* * *

"That was weird," Katara said as they left the market.

"Weird, maybe, but it was fun," Sokka admitted cheerfully, though he did send Katara a dirty look. "But you two really-" She rolled her eyes.

"Are you ever going to give it up, Sokka?" she asked, though she couldn't help smiling. In a thousand years she could never have denied that the kiss had felt _good_.

"Of course not," he said. "I'm your brother. It's my job to take care of you."

"As long as it doesn't involve laundry," Aang added.

"Did you two ever actually wash your clothes when I wasn't around?" Kataa asked.

"We left that part up to Sokka's instincts," Aang said. Katara was amazed by his efforts to keep a straight face as he reminded her of the old joke.

Zuko could only watch in confusion as both of them burst out laughing, while Sokka glared at nothing in particular.

"But seriously," Katara gasped, trying to regain her breath. "How did-"

"The Avatar, Prince Zuko, and Katara," a deep voice rumbled through the trees.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Sokka demanded.

"Shut up, you Water Tribe urchin!" the voice snapped.

"Hey!"

"What do you want?" Aang asked, suddenly wary.

"That much should be obvious." A man stepped from the cover of the shadows, a crossbow readied and aimed at Zuko. A long, thin knife was in his other hand.

"Surrender, Avatar, and I won't be forced to kill your friends," a second man snarled, stepping from another shadow. He glared at the first man, but he advanced, brandishing a vicious looking spear.

"You've got to be kidding me," Katara said as three more men emerged from the trees.

"Silence, you insolent tramp!" a sixth man said.

"_Enough_," Zuko said coldly, glaring daggers at the latest offender. He raised his fists, stepping into a fighting stance between Katara and the nearest of the strangers. They could belittle Sokka all they wanted, but _nobody_ insulted Katara in his presence.

"What do you want with us?" Aang asked again, gripping his staff.

"That bounty on your head, Avatar," one of the men said, grinning wickedly before charging Aang. The Avatar raised his staff, Sokka prepared to launch his boomerang, Zuko advanced into a brutal kick, Katara pulled the stopper from her water skin—

And the man fell to he ground, followed promptly by his detached head.

A sharp cry sounded, and the crossbow wielding man was felled, his death accompanied by the swift clash of steel against steel. A new figure now stood over his body, glaring fiercely at the other men. There was no mistaking that pale skin, that lean frame—it was the woman from the market. Without another sound she lunged forward, lashing at the man with the spear. At first there was no identifying the weapon in her hand—a silver whip? An insanely long sword? A short meteor hammer? Unyielding to logic, the weapon struck the bounty hunter, killing him almost instantly with a brutal slash across the chest.

Another man woke from his surprise and rushed at Aang, only to be thrown aside by one of Zuko's relentless punches.

Only two remained now; one fell at the angry blow of Sokka's club, the other found himself tossed into a tree by a sudden gale.

"Er...thanks again," Aang began, though his gratitude went unnoticed by their aid. The woman merely glared down at the bodies.

"Worthless vultures," she muttered, swinging her weapon down, beheading two of the unconscious bounty hunters. Katara and Aang's eyes widened in alarm.

"Was that...really necessary?" Sokka asked. He had nothing against defending himself, but killing an unconscious man..."They're uncon-"

"Completely," the woman interrupted, her tone light. She knelt at one of the corpses, sifting through its pockets, retrieving a bag of coins and a gold ring. "They are as persistent as rats, and nearly as common. Kill them off quickly or they'll do the same to you. Assuming they don't tear each other apart first." Her tone was calm and logical, but their effect was horrific. She spoke of merciless killing as though she was commenting on the weather, all the while scavenging the bodies of the fallen like a hungry boar.

Katara stepped forward to protest, but a glint of evening sunlight caught her attention, reflected off two long, hooked blades. She froze, all previous arguments forgotten.

"Those swords," she managed to say. The woman glanced down at them, clearly pleased with the attention.

"Brilliant, aren't they? Quite a rare design, too." All eyes now turned to the too familiar weapons.

"They're Jet's..." Katara said. The woman smiled coolly.

"The rebel boy? Yes. But they're mine now. They were an admirable gift, I'll admit."

"Why would he give them to you?" Sokka asked, suspicion bleeding into his voice.

"He didn't. Admiral Zhao did. When I gave him the rebel's head on a platter." As though to emphasize the point, she decapitated the last of the survivors. Katara took an involuntary step away from the woman, suddenly queasy. Aang, too, looked ill. Zuko watched in silence, though a trace of vague recognition was beginning to dawn across his features.

"What?"

"You heard me. And I was handsomely rewarded for the task, too."

"You...you didn't _kill_ him?" Aang started. The woman laughed coldly.

"Stop laughing about it!" Katara snapped. "How dare you-"

"What are _you_ complaining about? You certainly didn't think too highly of him. Not of his kisses, at least. The fool deserved to die." Katara stepped forward again, suddenly furious.

"Who are you?" Sokka demanded, pulling his sister away from the woman. Again the stranger's laugh shattered the air.

"My, my," she said. "All this time, and you still know nothing? How unfortunate." She gathered the last remnants of the bounty hunters' valuables. "You need not bother with my name, but remember this: I am the woman who will kill you." She turned on her heel and began to pad away.

"Stay away from them, Sen," Zuko said suddenly. His voice was almost unnaturally sharp and commanding, and it seemed to slice through the air. The woman glanced at him over her shoulder, amused, but undaunted.

"You remember me," she said dryly. "I'm flattered. But that will not save you." Without another word she resumed her pace, melting effortlessly into the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. However, its creators are sending me exclusive bits of information in hopes that I won't send the Zuko Fan Mob after them. So far, so good, guys! (I'm kidding, by the way...)

AN: Okay, for all of you who actually read the Author's Notes, there is a really big, important one on my **Profile** page. So please, for the love of Avatar, **take a look at it**.

As for the quality of this chapter, I'm not really too pleased with it, and I'm still having it edited for content and stuff, but my betas are having a hard time getting in touch with me. So this one is another self edited work, and when my editors send it back in all its corrected glory, I'll repost it and tell everyone. I appreciate all the reviews you've given me, and I ask that if you have any questions, comments,or suggestions, please tell me. I do listen, and it helps me out with a ton of stuff (I've got writer's block right now, and a few good provocations from you wonderful reviewers would do mewonders.)

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"What in the world is going on?" Sokka demanded.

"Zuko, who was that?" Aang asked. Zuko unsheathed one of his swords restlessly, fingering the blade as he scanned the trees around the camp. His eyes fell on Katara, and he felt an immediate pang of guilt. She didn't look angry or suspicious, like her brother. Just confused, and somewhat frightened. He had no right to make her feel that way.

"Her name is Sen, and she's a bounty hunter," he explained. "That's most of what I know about her. She came to the palace once a few years ago, and that's the only time I've seen her before today. I didn't even remember her until she started fighting just now."

"Is there anything else?" Aang pressed.

"I'm not certain about anything," Zuko insisted. "Even rumors about her were rare."

"Which means that you have heard some," Sokka concluded. The older boy shrugged uneasily.

"Usually people said that she was insane. Nobody ever explained how or why. That's all, really."

"What do you mean by insane?" Katara asked quietly. Zuko found himself growing uncomfortable.

"She's obsessed with something, but nobody knows what it is. The way she fights...she's supposed to have some kind of secret tactic, but that's another mystery. And she's got a fetish... with heads."

"Heads," Sokka repeated. Zuko nodded gravely.

"Severed heads. That's how she proves that she's caught somebody. And if what I heard is true, then she's never brought in a live bounty." Aang looked ill. Katara put a comforting hand on the Avatar's shoulder, though she had to swallow back the bitter taste that was forming in her mouth.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"We avoid her, if we can," Zuko said.

"And if we can't?"

"Then you'll just have to deal with me," the cold voice cut through the air. Four startled faces turned to see the source of the sound. The bounty hunter was leaning idly against a nearby tree, carelessly examining one of Jet's swords. Baggy clothes and swift motions no longer distorted her figure; she was now covered by a closely fitting garment, revealing an almost grotesquely thin body.

"How long have you been standing there?" Sokka demanded.

"Long enough," Sen said cryptically.

"Quit messing with us!" Sokka snapped at her. The bounty hunter looked amused.

"Really?" she asked innocently. "Why would I do that? This is so much more fun."

"For crying out loud, if you want to fight, then start fighting already! Enough of your stupid mind games!"

"Don't be in such a hurry to die," Sen drawled smugly. "Your time will come swiftly enough." Aang looked up, some confusion etched into his expression.

"He's right," he said quietly. "You said you're going to kill us. Why didn't you do it when you had a chance?"

"Which chance?" Sen mused, laughing again as she flipped Jet's sword through the air. She was _playing_ with the weapon while she threatened their lives. "Do you mean the one just now, when a half dozen vultures had you distracted? Or maybe you mean a couple of days ago, when I talked Jet into making your lives a little bit more interesting? Or maybe two months before that, when I saw the two of you," she gestured idly at Zuko and Katara, "Were busy in your little liplock?" Katara felt herself growing numb.

_How long has she been watching us?_ But she needed to stay focused.

"You sent him after us?" she breathed.

"He was more than happy to comply," Sen assured her carelessly. "It seems that he felt a little jealous about your dear new _lover_." She nearly sang the last few words, straightening as she sheathed the sword. She began walking towards them in a threatening arc, swinging her skeletal hips playfully. "He was so sure you'd been seduced by his _terrible_ enemy that he rushed in like a fool. Quite reckless." She laughed coolly.

"So all of that..." Katara managed to say through her growing fury. "That was you?"

"Not at all," the bounty hunter mused. "He did everything on his own. I just told him that you were coming, and gave him a few minor details." She laughed again, a sound like a phantom's cackle. "Where you were camped, the best way to kill you, a few easy methods to render you _completely_ helpless..."

"So that's it, then," Sokka said, his voice ringing with disgust. "You let other people fight your battles? You're nothing but a coward."

"Really?" Sen asked, her tone completely calm. As quickly as a viper, she darted out, grabbing Sokka's ponytail with one hand and drawing a short knife with another.

"Sokka!" Katara cried, starting towards her brother. The bounty hunter yanked cruelly at Sokka's head, pressing her weapon into his throat. Katara stopped short.

_That's exactly what Jet did..._

Sen's shot her a satisfied grin.

"What did I tell you? Completely helpless." The knife left Sokka's throat for a moment. She leveled her face with his and muttered into his ear. "What were you saying, then?"

"You are a stinking _coward_!" Sokka snarled defiantly. The bounty hunter's eyes sparkled with glee.

"That's what I thought you said," she crooned, driving the knife across his face. Sokka hissed as the cold steel cut into his cheek before she released him.

Katara and Aang raced to his side as the bounty hunter rushed away; Zuko took one glance back to make sure that Sokka wasn't gravely hurt before taking off after her.

* * *

Night had come quickly, and the thick trees allowed no meager trace of sunlight to penetrate their branches. Sen had disappeared into the deeper territory of the forest, cloaked by the darkness.

But this was no hindrance to Zuko. He raised his free hand, willing an orb of flame into existence a few inches above his palm, illuminating the trees around him with eerie light and shadow.

"Careful, Zuko," he heard Sen laugh through the boughs of the trees. Zuko spun to face her, but he could sift no human figure from the darkness. "Do any more Firebending and something might ignite. You wouldn't want to start another forest fire, would you now? Your precious Katara could get hurt again." Zuko gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword. As much as he hated to admit it, the bounty hunter was telling the truth.

"Come out and fight," he demanded. Another laugh sounded.

"But then you would try to kill me. And that would just _ruin_ my plans."

"What plans?" he heard a faint rustling in the darkness. Sen was circling him, trying to confuse him.

"It's a secret. But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough." Without warning, Zuko extinguished the fire, plunging himself into darkness, and he raced toward the sound of her voice. He heard the sound of the steel leaving a sheath, and rustling in the leaves around him. Only empty trees met his sword.

"My, aren't we reckless now?" Sen taunted him, several dozen yards away. "Quite bold, I think. Just make sure dear Katara doesn't get jealous, watching you chase after another woman like that."

"Shut up," Zuko snapped.

"But then, I'm sure you won't be bothered by a little jealousy from _her_. Not as long as she keeps kissing you, right? Not as long as she doesn't leave you alone. Not as long as she keeps having nightmares for you to chase away so you can feel _proud_ of yourself." Zuko snarled and charged at the voice again, barely avoiding several trees when she repositioned herself. "Because who else will? Your father? I doubt that."

"Silence!" a plume of flame snaked through the trees, illuminating a skeletal figure before she retreated into further shadows.

"I'm not sure whether to call that daring or just stupid," Sen jeered. "You'll burn this forest to the ground if you aren't careful, along with everyone in it." For an instant she stood right behind him, her unladen hands resting on his cheeks. He snarled and turned to strike her, but she had already disappeared into the trees. "But then, why delay the inevitable? I'm sure she would rather die at your hands than mine."

"Leave Katara alone!"

"I don't think I will. Tell me, Zuko, what do you intend to do when she dies? Cry about it?"

"I'll tear your filthy heart out!" He swung madly at the air before him, managing only to slice into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"That would be a decent plan," Sen observed. "But you forget: I have no heart. You'll have to find something else to occupy your time."

"I told you to leave her out of this!" he swung again at her voice, hitting nothing. The air was quickly beginning to boil around him as his frustration became rage.

"Don't try to order me around, Zuko. You might have been born into the royal family, but you've lost all your authority. Not that it mattered in the first place. Nobody controls a rogue."

"I don't need to control you to make you pay."

"Is that a fact?" Sen taunted. The hilt of one of Jet's hooked swords swung out of the darkness, striking him in the stomach. "Let me be the first to tell you that it helps." A second strike caught him in the back, aggravating his old wounds. Katara's water healing had restored him immensely, but his barely healed skin was still tender.

And those blows _hurt_.

He twisted around, sending a shower of sparks into the night. Again his attacker was illuminated, a few yards away. Her swords were hooked around one another, doubling their length, allowing her to strike him from a safe distance. But not safe enough.

Zuko threw his sword at her just as the last spark died. He heard a sharp cry, hurried scuffling through the foliage around him. He tried to follow Sen, but he quickly lost track of her in the darkness.

_What do you intend to do when she dies?_

Those haunting, arrogant, poisonous words echoed through his mind as he searched for his sword by firelight.

He finally found it, carelessly discarded at at the base of a tree. Only the edge was darkened with blood, meaning he had only managed to graze Sen...it was no great victory, but it seemed to have chased her away for the moment.

_Why delay the inevitable? I'm sure she would rather die at your hands than mine_.

Zuko didn't bother cleaning the blood from the blade before he rushed back, navigating through the trees by the glow of a fiery orb.

Sen wasn't dead yet.

And she was after Katara.

Zuko felt his blood pump through his veins as he sprinted, his pace quickening as his apprehension mounted. He tried to calculate how much time he had, how long it would take Sen to reach Katara, what kind of chance Sokka and Aang would stand against the bounty hunter, how severely she could have been wounded to spill so little blood, if that would have any effect on her ability to fight...

No matter how many times he ran the figures through his head, the answer was bleak. He could only guess the worst.

_Please_, he found himself begging to the empty night. _Let her be safe_.

He broke through the line of trees with heavy breath but ready to fight.

And he nearly collapsed.

There was Katara, applying a bandage to her brother's cheek while the Avatar stood nearby, his gray eyes wide with concern and wariness. Sen was nowhere in sight.

"Zuko?" Katara asked, looking up from her task. "Are you all right?"

It took a moment for the words to penetrate the warm haze that was clouding his mind.

_She's safe._

_Dear Agni, she's safe._

He was tempted to kiss her then and there, though his few remaining faculties managed to restrain him.

"Yes," he breathed. "I'm fine."

"Did you catch her?" Aang asked quietly, gesturing to Zuko's still drawn sword. Even in the shifting glow of his fire, it glistened red with Sen's blood. Zuko hastily cleaned it off before joining the rest of the group. He didn't sit down, though.

_Leave Katara alone!_

_I don't think I will._

"She escaped," he said, shaking his head heavily.

"Will she be back?"

"Yes." _And she's after you, Katara._ Yet he couldn't make himself say those words. He couldn't tell her, and he didn't even know why.

A cold silence filled the small clearing, as though the others sensed his unsaid words. Even the creatures of the night seemed to hold their breath, goading him, accusing him, interrogating him.

"Did she hurt you badly?" he asked Sokka instead, shattering the stillness. Sokka looked up, mildly surprised by Zuko's concern.

"Not really," he said. "It was a shallow cut, and their magic tricks fixed it up pretty fast."

"Waterbending," Katara corrected automatically.

"Whatever," Sokka said, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Thanks." A faint smile brushed Zuko's lips as he watched Katara finish applying the bandage to her brother's face. This was right. This was the way things should be. And yet...he couldn't shake the chill of foreboding.

Sen knew what she had been doing; that cut on Sokka's face had been no attack.

It hadn't even been a warning.

It was her idle game, just like her attack on him in the darkness of the trees.

* * *

"Can't sleep?" Katara whispered groggily into the night. She could only vaguely see his shadow against the dim light of the campfire. He was sitting at attention despite the late hour, his swords sheathed across his back.

"That's one way of putting it," he said. Katara pushed herself onto her elbows, trying to get a better view of him.

"Do you really think she'll come back tonight?" she asked quietly.

"...I don't know," Zuko admitted after a thoughtful pause. Even in the darkness, she could sense that he was weary. But he was too stubborn to let himself sleep.

"Zuko," she said softly, wriggling from her sleeping bag.

"You don't have to get up," he protested.

"I know," she said, crawling to his side. "But I want to." She reached up, gently cupping his face in her hand. "It's all right, Zuko. We'll get through this." He looped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. For several minutes, they just sat there, sharing in a gentle silence as the fire faded and died.

A cold wind disturbed the trees, and Katara felt Zuko shudder against her side.

"Zuko?" She gently turned his face toward hers, her eyes widening as she saw his expression by the silver moonlight. He was pale, staring at her with wide, lonely eyes. She had never seen him look so sad, or so frightened. "Zuko? What is it?" Her voice was higher than she had intended it to be, her fear ignited by his. In place of a reply, Zuko pulled her into his chest, holding her desperately tight as he buried his face in her hair. Katara felt chills race up and down her spine, felt her mouth go dry.

"I don't want to lose you, Katara," he whispered into her hair. "Please..."

"You won't," she promised him, managing at last to croak the words from her parched mouth. "You won't."

* * *

Sen descended from the trees just before dawn, staring at the Prince and his Princess with utter disgust. They had fallen asleep during the hug, and even now they remained in each others arms. Even in thier 'rule breaking' proximity, they remained innocent and chaste, like the cute little sweethearts that they were. That much could be tolerated, if only for a little while. It was their position in that blissfully ignorant slumber that infuriated her. Zuko's arm was nestled across Katara's neck, while his shoulder conveniently covered her heart. His own vital spots were just as cleverly obscured.

Apart from being annoying, it completely ruined her plans—it would be absolutely impossible to kill one without waking the other. And when one woke, they would surely rouse the rest of the group.

And though she was confident enough in her abilities, another direct confrontation was not something she looked forward to.

She dug irritably into the long dead coals of the fire, hoping that they would shift at some point, yet as the hours passed, they didn't move.

Sorely disappointed, she disappeared once more into the trees.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Okay, after all this time, do you think that I'm going to turn around and tell you that I actually own somethin? Actually, I do. I own Moonshade. Which is available on FictionPress. But I own nothing else. And that has nearly no relevence to this story. So, as far as you are concerned, my dear readers, I do indeed own nothing.

AN: I loved that last episode... This chapter is longer than usual...Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Sokka glared down at his sister and her boyfriend while they slept, locked in a less than innocent snuggle. He pulled out his club to 'gently' wake up Zuko as he stepped over the remains of the previous night's fire.

A strange formation of charcoal caught his eye, then his breath.

It had been shaped into a kanji character, pointing at the two sleepers.

It was the character for 'death'.

Forgetting his earlier plan, Sokka tapped Zuko. The Prince's eyes opened slowly, and he sent a questioning glance in Sokka's direction.

"What is it?" he asked groggily. Sokka pointed at the character.

"Did you make that?" he asked.

"Hm?" Zuko's eyes slowly focused on the pile of coal before they widened. He jerked back, leaning protectively over Katara as though to shield her from the mark and all that it implied. Katara, still nestled comfortably against him, began to stir, disturbed by the sudden movement.

"...Zuko?" she murmured, still half asleep. His glance shifted quickly between her and the character on the ground. Just as her eyes fluttered open, he kicked at the pile of charcoal, scattering it across the earthy terrain. She was completely oblivious to this. She only saw the intense expression on his face as it hovered over hers.

"Zuko? What's wro—oh." She had finally caught sight of her brother, looking exceptionally displeased. She sat up and meekly scooted away from Zuko, a blush beginning to spread across her cheeks.

"Oh yeah," Sokka said, suddenly remembering his first qualm of the morning. "Don't do that again. You two have rules to follow, remember?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, straightening her collar.

"'Bout what?" Aang yawned from a few yards away. He glanced at Zuko, Sokka and Katara, and his face fell. "Hey Katara, are we going to have to break up another fight?"

"Good question," Katara said, turning her gaze to Sokka. "Are we?" Her brother groaned.

"Whatever," he sighed, standing up and kicking idly at the scattered coals. "Do you think that tailor's finished with your clothes yet?" She stared blankly at him for a moment.

"...I guess so," she said slowly. "Why?" Over her shoulder, Zuko and Sokka exchanged glances. One thing, at least, they could agree on.

"Because you can't run around wearing a blanket for another day," Sokka explained simply.

"He's got a point," Zuko admitted, rolling up Katara's discarded sleeping bag.

"We should probably head into town, then," Sokka added, burying the remains of the fire pit.

"And we might as well stop for supplies while we're there," Zuko agreed, nodding thoughtfully.

"Do you think those girls are still around?"

"Most likely. I hope they keep their distance, though."

"But how can they give us more food if they're 'keeping their distance?'"

"You can deal with that, then. I'll pick up the clothes."

"Sounds fair," Sokka shrugged. Between the two of them, the entire campsite was nearly cleared. Aang and Katara could only stare.

Were Zuko and Sokka actually being _civil_ towards one another?

And were they honestly _cleaning_?

"Are they sick?" Aang whispered to Katara as the other boys finished clearing the site. Katara couldn't keep the mild alarm from her face.

"Either that, or we're dreaming."

"It's a bit weird to be a dream," Aang pointed out.

"Yeah..." Without further warning, Katara stepped up to Zuko, gently pressing her hand against his forehead. He looked down at her quizzically.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. She withdrew her hand, completely puzzled. Zuko didn't feel warm...or at least, not warmer than usual. And he didn't _look_ sick.

"Nothing," she mumbled, retreating again while he watched, a look of mixed amusement and concern dancing on his handsome face.

* * *

"Are they ready?" Zuko asked the tailor, keeping his tone carefully neutral. The old man nodded absently.

"Just a few alterations, and they'll be finished. Would you kindly step behind the screen...?" He held a welcoming hand towards a silk screen, across which the new clothes hung. Zuko wanted to strike himself, though he restrained the urge. How could he have overlooked such an obvious hindrance? Of course he would have to leave Katara alone for who knew how long. Though the amount of time really didn't matter. Even a few careless moments would be enough for Sen.

_What do you intend to do when she dies?_

"Behind the screen," he repeated cautiously. The man looked puzzled.

"...Yes. Behind the screen."

"Fine." Zuko made no argument as he marched to the paper barrier. If he was at least within earshot of Katara, then he would at least have time to react if Sen showed up. The tailor turned absently to Katara.

"Now, miss, if you'll step into the front room-"

"No," Zuko said too sharply. Katara and the tailor looked up at him in confusion. "I want you to see if it looks all right." The excuse was pathetic at best, but the tailor didn't argue. Katara only raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Zuko silently cursed himself for sounding so foolish.

_What am I supposed to say? There's a madwoman on the loose and she seems to have a grudge against you. Me? No, she's had more than her chance to get rid of me. Your brother, too. And it wouldn't take any effort to just kill us all and grab the Avatar. No, Katara. She wants you, and she wants you dead._ Even unspoken, the words filled him with guilt. He could only imagine her reaction: confusion, fear, worry. Sleepless nights haunted by nightmares, fright at any unforewarned movement...

Admittedly, Katara was not the kind of girl who would so easily succumb to fear. And even if she was, she was far too stubborn to show it. But Zuko couldn't help but worry for her.

Because while fear was bitter and cold, it was a warning. Fear protected one from danger.

_

* * *

_

_'I'm not afraid,'_ _a younger boy said, looking across the war chamber at the old general. 'What you're trying to do is wrong. And If it'll take an Agni Kai to prove that, then so be it.' He didn't expect to see his father at the duel. He didn't expect to lose everything so quickly. Because he had no reason to expect it._

_After all, he wasn't afraid._

* * *

Just as had been expected, the flock of girls had returned, giggling wildly, batting their eyelashes, and bearing gifts. Sokka and Aang couldn't help enjoying themselves, though they didn't get swept away in the excitement as they had done before.

Yet they still didn't see Sen before they heard her voice.

"Charming, aren't they?" she muttered into Sokka's ear, a serpentine smile on her face. It took all of his willpower not to jerk away from her. She wore loose, ordinary clothing that easily disguised her thin form, though Sokka and Aang could now feel the bone in her arms as they wrapped affectionately around their shoulders.

"Your goons, I suppose?" he asked, keeping his voice as low as hers. She laughed pleasantly.

"Not at all. Just easily manipulated little girls. It's amazing, really. All you have to do is spread a few rumors, throw around a bit of praise, some flattering adjectives...and suddenly the three newcomers are the great, handsome warriors, come to save them from the wicked monotony of the world. You don't even have to do that much. People will always exaggerate when they find themselves desperate for something to believe in."

"You have no right to do this."

"Yet I don't see you refusing that food," Sen pointed out.

"You planned this," Aang breathed, keeping his own face as neutral as possible. She shrugged.

"Obviously."

"Why?" The question was rewarded with a seductive wink from the woman.

"If I told you, that would just _ruin_ the surprise." She ruffled Aang's hat playfully. "I have my own reasons. You'll just have to deal with that."

"That's just low," Sokka muttered, trying to keep his face neutral. "How dare you try to fight us in the middle of this crowd..."

"Fight you?" Sen chuckled, nuzzling his shoulder. "If I wanted to fight you right away, I wouldn't waste my time feeding you. No...I have other plans for you."

"Quit messing with us," he said.

"And stop playing with my little toys? No. I don't think I will. You should be grateful, Sokka. I've been tailing you for months already. But it seems you didn't even begin to notice until I showed myself to you. It's rather cute, really."

"Come on, miss Sen, give us a turn!" one of the older girls cried, tugging jealously at the bounty hunter's baggy sleeve. Sen offered the girl an acquiescing sigh, and muttered one last message to her two targets.

"You are alive only by my choice. Consider that a blessing...perhaps you will see me again soon." She chuckled and retreated, relinquishing them to the mercy of the near rabid girls.

* * *

"My, my, don't you look _lovely_. I must say, it suits you far better than your last outfit." Katara froze as she heard Sen's voice behind her. A solid week had passed since they had last seen her, but surely enough, the bounty hunter stood behind her, carelessly leaned against a nearby tree. Zuko said nothing, but lunged in front of Katara, putting himself between her and the killer, while Sokka and Aang gripped their weapons, ready to fight. Sen looked amused.

"How cute. A vain gesture, though. You're only putting another neck to my blade. It really won't make any difference." Zuko only glared at her, forming the beginnings of a fireball in his hand. "Or do you intend to fight me? Now that will be a sight! You won't win, though." She smirked coolly at him, radiating absolute confidence with every word, and effectively ignoring Sokka and Aang as she did so. "I have twice your motivation and three times your experience. A few bending tricks won't save you." She cocked her head to the side in surprise, as though she hadn't heard her own threat. "Oh? What's wrong, dear Zuko? Can't you speak? Has our last _tryst_ left you mute?" Katara felt her stomach lurch at the phrase. The bounty hunter was just acting like that to get at Zuko. She was just toying with him. But Katara couldn't push another image out of her mind, of Sen draped over Zuko, leaning dangerously close to him...

"_Silence, you filthy_-" Zuko started.

"Ah ah," Sen silenced him with a snakelike blow across his face. "Watch your tongue. There are small children about."

"What do you want?" Katara snapped at the bounty hunter, trying to distract her from Zuko. Sen rolled her eyes.

"That should have become painfully obvious by now," she sighed. "I want to see your head on a pike. But until that becomes practical, I'm doing a few random errands." She paused thoughtfully, before throwing a pebble at Zuko. A snide smirk crossed her face. "Your sister sends her _warmest_ regards, by the way." Zuko glared at her.

"Tell her she can jump off a cliff," he said, clearly trying to keep his voice above a snarl. All eyes turned to him.

"You have a sister?" Aang asked. Katara wondered the same, momentarily forgetting the bounty hunter. Zuko had never mentioned any siblings...But then, he didn't talk about his past very much.

"We aren't close," he muttered, never shifting his icy stare from Sen. She chuckled.

"Really? That's not the impression I got. In fact, she offered to triple my salary if I brought you back alive."

"Nice sister," Sokka noted. Zuko shot him a glance, then returned his glare to the bounty hunter.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. She shrugged playfully.

"Oh, she's very fond of you, you know. She wants to hear you scream as you are put to death. She wants to be a witness to your suffering." Her grin broadened, though an undertone of disgust was now visible in the smile. Her voice was light, as though she was reciting a nursery rhyme. "She wanted my opinion about that, actually. Whether she should let you die alone, with only her company...or whether she should extend the _honor_ of witnessing your demise to the entire Nation...of course, if she goes with that option, she'll be killing you herself. And, I assure you, she has been preparing for the occasion-"

"Stop it!" Katara cried. She was shaking now and her face had paled. Sen cocked her head to the side, looking amused.

"Stop what? I'm only telling the truth, my dear. Don't you like hearing it? That's reality, in all its glory. That is the future that awaits you."

"Shut up!" the younger girl snapped, storming forward, all caution forgotten. Zuko started after her, trying to hold her back, but she yanked her hand from his grip, absolutely focused on her opponent. "Stop talking like that! You're nothing but a stinking murderer! You have no right to-"

"No right to _what_?" the woman asked, fingering an elegant dagger. "Can you hear a word you're saying? Look at you! Are you _so holy_ that _you_ may pass judgment?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I earn my bread through the blood of criminals and traitors. And your precious Zuko is nothing more than one more meal ticket. If I stop hunting those you call friends, then I will die. So does that make my life worth less than theirs? Does that entitle _me_ to death? Please, do enlighten me, _oh great Katara_." Mockery and spite dripped from her words like poisoned wine.

"That doesn't change it," Katara hissed stubbornly. "That doesn't make it right." Once more the woman laughed and she grabbed her by the collar.

"Katara!" Sokka, Zuko and Aang charged forward at once. Sen ignored them.

"Of course not," Sen mused. "But I'm sure it isn't nearly as bad when your dear _lover_ is the one doing the killing."

"Don't you _dare_-" Sen's knife pressed suddenly against her throat, drawing blood.

"Do _not_ criticize me again, Katara," she said icily. "Unless you wish to part with that pretty little head..." She pushed her into Zuko and Aang and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

"Katara, that was really stupid," Sokka said, speaking over Aang's shoulder as the Avatar used Water Healing to clean the cut on her neck. Meanwhile Zuko rummaged through their supplies, searching for the bandages.

"That wasn't my fault!" she defended. "It's not like I asked her to-"

"Yeah, you kind of did," Aang pointed out.

"That woman is insane, Katara," Zuko said, unwinding one of the gauze wrappings. "It's lucky she didn't kill you."

"Come on, charging at a psycho bounty hunter?" Sokka continued. "What did you think she would do? Squeal and run away?"

"No..." Katara said. Aang backed away, allowing Zuko to gently apply the bandage. "She had no right to say those things," she said lamely.

"Which is exactly why she said them," Zuko said.

"She wanted us to attack," Aang added.

"And you just _had_ to go for the bait. Come on, Katara, it was obvious!"

"It was not," she protested.

"Was too," the Avatar said.

"I promised Dad I'd take care of you," her brother reminded her. "And that's kind of hard if you keep doing dumb things like trying to attack _trained assassins_."

"I-" Zuko put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"We care about you, Katara," he said gently. "All of us. We don't want to see you get hurt."

"Got that?" Sokka asked. She looked slowly between her brother, her best friend, and her secret fiancée, a gentle smile rising to her lips. She nodded finally.

"Yes. I understand."

* * *

A thin figure silently entered Admiral Zhao's tent. He didn't look up from his work, only adjusting his papers as the slightest wind disturbed them. The guest sat on the floor, waiting patiently for him to finish. Nearly an hour passed before he put the documents away, finally turning his attention to the newcomer.

"What news?" he asked, not bothering with any further greeting. The figure lowered its silk mask, revealing Sen's face.

"They are heading south by southeast. They've gathered most of their supplies, and won't have to make further detours for some time. If you want to find out where they're going, now is the time to do so."

"If _I_ want to find out?" Zhao repeated quietly. The bounty hunter nodded.

"Their course is taking them over water. I'm no sea captain; I recommend you find one to track them for now. In the meantime, I have other business to attend to. Concerning which..." she lifted a large bag from her lap and passed it to Zhao with a slight bob of her head. He opened it, his face quickly taking on a childish expression of delight as he removed three disembodied heads from the sack.

"And where did you find these?" he mused, now studying the trophies with a jeweler's scrutiny, though the look of exhilaration never left his features.

"Those two were hunting the Avatar. The third hoped to protect him."

"From you?"

"From his new companion. It seems that the Exiled Prince has made few allies since you saw him last." Zhao grimaced at her words, his good hand subconsciously brushing across his jaw. Half of his face, as well as his other arm, had been horribly disfigured during his last fight with the Banished Prince Zuko. He wore it as a mark of glory: his men nearly sung of his courage and determination in battling the Rogue, of his great skill and grace in the face of such blatant treachery. But no amount of praise or glory could mend his ruined flesh, or take back the agony that he had suffered as Zuko's attacks had fallen.

"And you didn't kill him?" he snapped. Sen looked up at him for a moment, her hands resting on the ground before her. It was an odd habit of hers; it made her look strangely like a dog, waiting for its master's approval.

"I didn't think it wise," she said at last. "I assumed that you would prefer to finish him yourself, and it would be nearly impossible to take him away from the Avatar alive." She paused thoughtfully. "And if I did, the Avatar would retaliate immediately. Such a confrontation..." Her glance traced his burned skin for the swiftest instant, "Would likely end in disaster. It would best be avoided until his allies can be found and destroyed. Until then, I will continue to keep him on the defensive." Zhao reclined back in his chair, more than pleased with her answer. He barked an order to one of the servants that waited outside before once again returning his attention to Sen.

"Defensive, my pet?" he asked. She flashed her familiar predator's smile.

"It is incredible how many mistakes one child can make when pressed to act," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, I wouldn't slap a disclaimer at the beginning of all my chapters, would I?

AN: I update at last! I'm really sorry about the long wait. It took a while for me to write, and my editors had some trouble with it, and I got really busy with school, and I'll stop feeding you excuses so you can get to the story, ne? Also, for those of you wondering about what Sen looks like, I drew a picture of her on deviantART. There's a link to the picture (and to some Zuko fanart) on my profile page.

And, I've noticed that people have just about stopped reviewing... This might (coughcough) have something to do with my horrible writer's block. Believe me. Your feedback is amazing. It is like bait for Muses. So write a review and help bring back my Muse!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Sen shook her head in disgust and left the captain. He made no move to follow her, and he clearly had no intention of lowering his prices.

"Blasted, cheapskate pirates..." she muttered, ignoring the dirty look she received from the sailor. He wasn't the only man who had denied her; most of the ships in the port were loaded and filled, and they had no room for an extra passenger, especially if she was unwilling to pay her dues.

"Have you heard any news about this boy?" she heard a vaguely familiar voice ask in the distance.

"I'm sorry, no."

"...Very well. Thank you, just the same..." She turned wearily to see an old man in fine armor, speaking to a passerby. The latter was unremarkable, but the soldier caught Sen's attention. She waited for a moment until the villager left before approaching.

"Good afternoon, General Iroh," she said casually. He turned to look at her, and barely managed to disguise a look of disgust.

"Well, Miss Sen. It is good to see you again." A blatant lie, but an appropriate one. Sen smiled carelessly; the Dragon of the West was still a servant of protocol, it seemed.

"And it is always a pleasure to see you," she returned. "Tell me, how is your nephew doing?" General Iroh suppressed a cringe. Sen withheld a grin and tried to look mildly surprised. "Don't you know?"

"I do not," Iroh said. There was no mistaking the weariness in his voice. She shrugged.

"Would you like to?" Immediately the general's face hardened into a wary expression. He knew enough of her to recognize her tactics, especially her advertisement.

"What do you know?" he asked, carefully guarding his voice. Sen shrugged.

"I know what I need to know," she said. "But I think I'll keep that information to myself, thank you..."

"What do you want for the information?" General Iroh demanded. He had little patience left for her games.

"You have a ship," she said. "I want you to take me to Port Sechi. No charge, no questions asked."

"And you will tell me where Prince Zuko is?" Sen studied the old man for a moment. He had changed dramatically since she had last seen him. Most of his hair had paled to white, oddly noticeable from its former gray. He had lost weight as well, and his face sported more lines than it had a few months before, when he had watched his nephew sneak out to speak to a young Water bender. Of course he had been unaware of her presence, as had Zuko, but she had observed him as closely as she had the young conspirators. It was surprising what a terrible effect the absence of two teenagers had left on him. But she made no mention of his ragged state.

"Where he is at the moment. Are we agreed?"

"Agreed."

* * *

Zuko let fly a second punch, only to be evaded by his opponent. Sokka grinned at him, using the moment's lull to drive his club into the Prince's chest. The attack offered no end to the fight, though: Zuko retaliated quickly, slamming his foot into Sokka's side, knocking him back.

"You'll pay for that," the Water Tribe boy barked, ready to attack an instant later.

"Just try and make me," Zuko taunted. Sokka's reply was another swing with his club, though the Prince easily dodged the attack.

"Hey, Katara!" Sokka yelled without warning, pointing over Zuko's shoulder. The Prince glanced involuntarily behind him, hoping to catch a glance of the girl. While his head was turned, he was thrown back by a kick to the gut.

"Sokka wins!" Aang cheered from the side.

"No he didn't," Zuko argued, though he let the other boy help him to his feet.

"Yes I did. Your back touched the ground first. That means that you lost."

"Only because _you_ cheated."

"It's not cheating. It's creative diversion tactics. We never said that those weren't allowed. You can use them too, if you think they'll help."

"Did you finish sparring?" Katara asked, returning to the campsite.

"Yup," Aang said. "Sokka won."

"Was there ever any doubt?" he asked. "But seriously, Zuko. The look on your face was _priceless_. I didn't think something so simple would work, but then, it is _you_."

"What happened?" Katara asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Nothing!" Zuko said quickly.

"That bad?" she asked with a slight laugh.

"Your boyfriend is obsessed, Katara," Sokka hooted.

"Is that a fact?" Zuko said.

"You know it," the other boy taunted.

"The loser sets up the tent."

"Have fun with that!" Sokka cried, rushing back into another match. Katara sat back, watching the mock battle with amusement.

"You know, if they keep this up much longer, they'll end up doing _all_ the chores."

"Why do you think I didn't try to stop them?" Aang asked, a mischievous smile on his face. Katara laughed.

"So what's the score now?"

"Sokka's going to get the firewood, do the dishes, and look for more food. Zuko's going to do the cooking and the laundry. He's also supposed to give Sokka a foot massage."

"Ouch. At least they're having fun."

"That's true."

Strangely enough, friendly competition suited them quite well: the two boys seemed to get along better when they were fighting than otherwise. But even when they weren't sparring, Sokka's opinion of Zuko seemed to have softened. He had concluded that Katara had already made far worse choices in boyfriends, and was satisfied that Zuko was as protective of her as he was. Having a new sparring partner came as an added bonus.

* * *

Sen stared at her surroundings in a confusing mixture of awe and disgust. The room seemed at first to be underwater; the beds, the rug, the numerous wall hangings, were various shades of blue and violet and silver. A silk screen that stood before one wall was painted with rich aquatic ornaments. A number of vases were arranged on the floor, though they had since been emptied of life or earth. Only one flower remained: a rose, left in a simple glass container, left upright though it had long since died. The rose looked oddly familiar, but she brushed the recognition aside, sitting heavily on the silk violet sheets.

"Of all the rooms on this ship," she muttered. "_This_ is the only one available..."

It wasn't a bedroom at all anymore, but an altar: a shrine to the girl who had captured the Prince's heart. And in return for the favor, she had become little less than a queen. Sen snorted in disdain, rubbing the silk between her fingers.

_**Empresses** have slept on more common bedding than this!_

* * *

Katara and Aang, having been graciously deprived of chores, practiced Water bending as the two older boys did all of the real work. Katara had offered to help, if only to spare Zuko from the more disgusting tasks, but he had refused. 

"I lost the match," he said stubbornly. "And I'll accept the consequences. Besides," his face softened, and he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. "You need a break once in a while. Go ahead and relax. I'll take care of this." He shot a sidelong glance at Sokka. "And I'll make sure your brother doesn't do anything stupid." Katara laughed softly.

"Thank you," she said.

Zuko's determination to impress her was amusingly obvious, but nobody noticed it more than Sokka. Not to be outdone, the Water Tribe boy doubled his own efforts, which was countered as Zuko worked even harder at his own chores.

"You know, if they keep going like this, they're going to wear themselves out," Aang noted as the sky began to darken. The chores had been long since finished, but neither of the rivals had given up yet, and continued doing everything in their power to perfect their work.

"I know. But we're only a few days from Omashu. And the camp has never been cleaner."

"Can't argue with you there," the Avatar agreed.

"But I think the foot massage was going a bit too far..."

True to his word, Zuko was following through with the chore, though his expression was enough evidence that he didn't enjoy it. Through the entire ordeal, his face was grim and set, his hands working quickly to finish their gruesome task as quickly as possible. The memory of the chore seemed to continue haunting him as he seated himself by the nearest stream and washed his hands for nearly a half hour.

"Grow up," Sokka scoffed as the other boyviolently scrubbed his hands. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"I'm sure it wouldn't have been," Zuko countered. "If you had washed your feet once in the past month."

"I did too wash my feet! It's not my fault you're obsessed with cleanliness."  
Zuko glared at him, but rose from the stream's bank.

"_Have you seen Zuko?_" they both heard Katara ask Aang, her voice drifting lightly through the trees. Without hesitation, the Prince beelined for the camp.

"Yep. Obsessed with cleanliness...among other things," Sokka said with a frazzled sigh before trotting to keep up with Zuko.

* * *

The city of Omashu loomed around them, rising elegantly from mountain range that surrounded it. Zuko stared in wonder from beneath the confines of his hood. At first glance, the city wasn't as intricate or complex as the Fire Nation's capitol had been, but it easily doubled the other city's size, a vast monument of pyramids and spacious buildings, all enclosed within a sturdy wall.

It certainly _looked_ as though it had been made by an Earthbender.

"Are you sure we'll be able to find you a teacher here?" he asked Aang. The Avatar nodded.

"I have a friend who lives here," he said. "He'll be able to help."

"And besides," Sokka added. "Would you look at those walls? There's no way the Fire Nation or that psycho girl is getting inside. We'll get to take a nice, relaxing break for a while." He and Zuko exchanged meaningful glances.

_Katara will be safe here_, they agreed silently. Concern for the Waterbender had formed the only substance to their truce. As soon as they could shake the bounty hunter from their trail, they would be able to hate each other in peace again.

"As long as we stay off the mail system," Katara pointed out. Aang, who was looking up hopefully, grinned.

"Do we have to? They're so much fun!"

"And the last time we were here, it got us arrested. And I'd rather not end up with one of those rings on my finger again."

"Come on, that was just a joke," Aang protested.

"Rings?" Zuko asked. He was completely lost in this conversation.

"Yeah," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "Long story. Really, really long story."

"And what does it have to do with mail?"

"You don't want to know," Sokka insisted, rolling his eyes again.

A loud crash sounded as he stumbled into a cart, sending vegetables tumbling to the ground.

"My cabbages!" a vaguely familiar voice shrieked. A small man began stomping around the cart, babbling about his ruined produce. "You'll pay for this!" he cried. "You've ruined my cabbages for the last time, you vandals! I'm gonna-"

"Calm yourself, old man," a chilling voice drawled from behind them. "They'll be taken care of." The merchant huffed.

"Thank you, Sen," he said, barely satisfied. The four teenagers went rigid. Zuko instinctively pulled Katara away from the bounty hunter. Sen smiled and picked up one of the fallen cabbages, cheerfully returning it to the cart.

"Hello, there," she said, her icy voice characteristically unmatched with her pleasant expression. "Did you miss me?"

"What are you doing here?" Sokka demanded.

"I do what I want, when I want," she said, her grin widening. "But right now, I'm pretty interested in the four of you. And I know you've just been _dying_ to see me." A maniacal leer adorned her face. "Now, what were you saying?"

"Leave," Zuko said. "Now."

"I don't think I will." She was nearly humming as she fingered one of Jet's swords. She advanced another step, and he sank into a fighting stance. She laughed. "How charming! What a protective lover you are. You know, I believe there is nothing more _endearing_ than a lost cause." Zuko drew his swords.

"I told you to leave," he said. Firebending was too dangerous in such a crowded area, but he had no intention of backing down from the fight. The surrounding shoppers darted to the side, careful to avoid any potential danger while trying to catch a glimpse of the opponents. Their mixed eagerness formed the passersby into a large ring around them, forcing the four teenagers and Sen into a living arena.

Sen smirked and approached, deliberately shifting her motions towards Katara. Zuko slashed threateningly at her with one sword- a warning, though it was readily blocked, the force of the collision knocking the hood from his head. Sen's second sword hissed through the air, only parried by his other blade. For a moment they stood in a stalemate, completely equal, but suddenly Sen lunged forward, slamming her forehead against Zuko's. His vision flashed into a white blur, but he recovered quickly.

Not fast enough! Sen used the distraction to tear the swords from his hands and cast them at the feet of the crowd. He blocked another slash with his steel bracers- the only remnant of his otherwise discarded armor- though the maneuver forced his arms into place. A second blow plunged toward his side, and he found himself immobile. He heard a sharp crack as the blade collided with Sokka's club. Undaunted, Sen offered them a malicious smirk as she spun out of the arms lock,racing past both of them, her blades now poised at Katara and Aang...

There was a roar of flame, and several women in the crowd screamed. An arc of fire raced across the open arena at the bounty hunter, who flattened herself against the ground to avoid the blaze, though the acrid stench of burning hair was unmistakable. Her swords, now red hot, lay forgotten on the open ground. Zuko stood at the source of the flame, his face contorted into fury, his muscles tensed to deliver another blow. Sokka, Aang, and most importantly, Katara, were untouched by the blaze, though they all looked stunned.

Around them, the crowd churned as women and children were pushed away from the dangers of the fight. An angry buzz flooded the air around the spectators, but the murmuring and shuffling went unnoticed by the two fighters. Sen had regained her feet, now holding a knife, crouching like a cat on the prowl as she and Zuko circled one another.

Without warning, Sen lunged forward again, her new weapon poised for Zuko's throat. He struck again with a blast of fire, and another, and another, all of them hastily dodged. His hands closed into fists, his fingers curled around short, thin jets of flame, as steady as daggers. Sen glared at him and pounced again. Zuko returned her fierce stare, yet he didn't move, allowing her to get closer...closer...

Her knife was barely a foot from his heart when he threw his fist forward, and the world erupted into chaos.

The knife fell to the ground, in two melted shards.

Sen landed on the ground nearly a dozen feet away from her opponent, her clothes partially consumed by fire as she writhed in agony, trying to free her arm from a few stray drops of molten steel.

The flames in Zuko's hands extinguished as the ground beneath his feet lurched and rippled, surging around him, shattering. The pieces flew down at him, hailing razor edged debris upon the Prince as he tried to ward off the new assailants.

"_Kill him...Kill him...Kill him..._" A demonic chant formed in the heart of the mob, growing with every beat.

Katara cried out; trying to run to his aid, only to be thrown back by the mob of people as they surged forward, rage in their eyes and weapons in their hands.

"No! Zuko! Please-" she was grabbed roughly and pulled away by one of the rabid attackers.

"_Kill him, Kill him, Kill him..._"

"He'll be dead soon," her captor spat viciously. "We won't need to worry about scum like him anymore."

City guards rushed into the crowd. For a moment, Katara's heart leapt. _They'll help. They'll get these people under control. _

_No..._The armored guards plunged into battle, helping the other Earth benders pummel Zuko

"_Kill him kill him KILL HIM!_"

"ZUKO!"

"**_ENOUGH_**!"

The crowd hushed at the command, and several of the once crazed members backed away from the woman in their midst. Or at least, a woman was what she might once have been. She seemed more monster than human now; drenched with water, her eyes flashing dangerously, her left arm red and burned, her clothes still emitting a vicious steam that nearly engulfed her.

What had once been Sen seemed to have become a demon.

"You!" She snarled to one of the guards, her voice raw and brutally fierce.

"Take this piece of filth to the King. NOW!" The soldier hastened to obey.

"These, too!" She commanded another, pointing savagely at Sokka, Aang and Katara.

"But they-"

"DO IT!"

As the crowd parted, Katara finally caught sight of Zuko. He was sprawled across the ground, unmoving. Blood trickled from between his lips, and from numberless cuts and gashes that now covered his body.

_Zuko!_ She tried to fight her way to his side, but the guards that held her were too strong. She struggled for a moment, only to be jerked suddenly from their grip as two viselike hands grabbed her robe.

"_You will suffer when I kill you_," Sen hissed into Katara's ear, before shoving her back into the arms of one of the guards.

* * *

The mob marched through the city, many of its members still scrambling to deliver a few more blows to their now unconscious prisoner, only to be warded off grudgingly by the guards. Zuko had been carelessly thrown over one man's shoulder, and Katara, Aang and Sokka followed behind, restrained by their own captors. Sen led the mob with a hostile determination, though the expression of unbridled fury was eventually relinquished in favor of cold calculation.

The greatest mass of the crowd was shed as they passed the first door of the palace, leaving only Sen, the guards, and their prisoners. They marched past a short flight of stairs, and entered a long chamber, lit by arrangements of glowing green crystal, casting an eerie hue on everything in the room, including the elaborately dressed old man who sat in the throne.

Zuko was unceremoniously thrown to the floor, and the guards motioned Aang, Sokka, and Katara to their knees with a stern glare. Set stepped to the front of the procession, her expression steely and cold.

"You're Highness," she said clearly. "May I present Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation," she gestured mockingly at his still body. "He just finished attacking me and threatening your people. He nearly slaughtered several civilians and recklessly started a fight in the middle of a crowded street in the marketplace."

"You _liar_!" Sokka shouted, springing to his feet. "_You_ started that fight and you know it!" The closest guard grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him back to his knees, clapping a hand over his mouth.

"Funny," Sen said, her voice devoid of amusement. "Then explain to me why nearly two hundred people are waiting at the gate, completely ready to testify otherwise? Oh yes, and Your Majesty, allow me to introduce you to the three who invited this scourge into your city."

"Those three have amnesty here," the King said calmly, though he looked pensive and grim. Aang, Sokka and Katara looked somewhat relieved.

"Thank you, Bu-" Aang started.

"Well enough," Sen interrupted. "Though I doubt your people will be pleased with such a courtesy. They know who _he_ really is," she bluntly indicated Zuko with one hand. "And they will not take kindly to his presence here. Your people will not allow the son of your greatest enemy to remain alive and free. Not while he is so capable of destroying their homes, their families, and their King." She paused, and then, as though anticipating King Bumi's thoughts, continued. "They will accept no promises. The Fire Lord is not unknown for lying to his victims, nor to his people. The same will be expected of his heir. They will revolt, if only to protect you." She met his eyes defiantly. "It seems that you have only three options: kill him, incarcerate him, or eject him from the city."

"You planned this all along, didn't you?" Aang demanded. "You told them who Zuko is!" Sen glared down at him.

"I didn't need to. This city is prosperous. Filled to the brim with merchants who just _love_ to gossip, and enough of them who travel outside of Omashu. It took little intelligence for anybody to recognize him: an unstable Firebender with a scar over his eye." She raised her gaze again to the King. "And your judgment?"

King Bumi looked from the soldiers, to Sen, to the three children that knelt before him, to the unconscious boy that lay sprawled on the floor, still bleeding from many of the gashes that hatched his body. His face betrayed no emotion, no stray thought.

"Take him to the dungeon," he said at last.

The two women watched silently as Zuko was picked up and removed from the throne room. Katara stared in disbelief and shock. Sen smirked slightly in satisfaction.


	14. Chapter 14 Angels Would Fall

Disclaimer: For crying out loud, I don't own Avatar. I don't own Bumi's quirky little puns. I don't own Zuko's compulsive overprotective streak. I don't own...anything else that could give away hints aboutthis chapter. But if I managed to gather the Zuko Fan Mob and take over Nickelodeon...?

Author's Note: Big thanks to **Wolfhawk**, **Khi**, **Kuposan**, **Miss Nekochan**, and many more for all your help and suggestions, and thanks to all you reviewers who just plain inspire me to keep going with this! And I know this is a bit ahead of schedule, but I wanted to make up for the really long wait on the last chapter. Next update will be next weekend, most likely. Remember, your reviews make this story happen!

And for all of you who have rallied to try and assassinate Sen...(should I start a Sen Hate Mob now?) You should know that that makes me quite happy. I'm glad that I've succeeded in creating such a hatable character. Of course, she is a lot of fun to write, so you should expect to keep seeing her. For a little while, at least...

_

* * *

_

_Angels never came down  
There's no one here they want to hang around  
But if they knew  
If they knew you at all  
Then one by one the angels  
Angels would fall... _  
-Melissa Etheridge, _Angels would fall _

**Chapter 14 **

Sen sat wearily on one of the stone chairs in a small room, her head reclined back as a little girl applied salve to her burns.

"How did this happen?" the child asked. Sen sighed bitterly, though she checked her tongue.

"I was careless," she said. "I got too close to a fire. That's all." The girl nodded, but looked uneasily at the severity of the burns.

"All right," she said at last, drawing a roll of bandages from a nearby table and winding them gently around the woman's wounds. She hesitated when she reached a wrapping over the Sen's right shoulder.

"I almost forgot about that," Sen mused, unwinding the old bandage. The little girl swallowed. A gash cut across the bounty hunter's upper arm, wide, though not deep, and bitterly discolored with the earliest signs of infection. She stared up at her senior.

"Why didn't you do something about this?" she pleaded. Sen shrugged, despite the slight tremor of pain that accompanied movement of the wound.

"I was preoccupied at the time," she said simply. The little girl nodded, though she was clearly unsatisfied.

"I'll find something for it," she said, finishing the other wrappings before slipping from the room.

Nearly a half hour later, the child returned. As soon as she was inside the door, she paused, trembling, her amber eyes wide, her face flushed, her short black hair disheveled, and her breath heavy. Sen leapt from her seat, every muscle tensed for attack.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "What's wrong, Ling Xi?" Gradually, the little girl's expression began to shift from that of shock. The corners of her mouth turned into an elated smile, and she stared up at the woman in wonder.

"I...I saw him..." she rasped. Sen glanced stealthily to the corner of the room, where her swords were leaned against the wall.

"Who?" she demanded, her voice a breath away from menace.

"The Angel Man!"

* * *

Katara shuddered, but said nothing. Aang and Sokka watched her carefully, but held back, unsure of how to help her. All three of them had already tried pleading with King Bumi and most of the palace guards, but their efforts had fallen on deaf ears. For the moment they just let her sit in the room the three of them now shared. It was luxurious, especially compared to their last stay in Omashu. Their prison cell had been an unusually fine one, but it blanched in comparison to the new room. Katara sat heavily on a pile of fluffy blankets that rested on a huge bed, and two more waited on the other side of a rich curtain. All around them, the walls were adorned with intricate mosaics, and elaborate ornaments were randomly scattered around them. 

"Did you come up with anything?" Aang asked at last. Katara shook her head.

"It doesn't make any sense. Why would King Bumi believe her more than us?"

"We did kind of have Zuko with us," Sokka pointed out. "He doesn't exactly have the best reputation."

"And it didn't look like he really _wanted_ to lock Zuko up," Aang added. "Sen could be forcing him to do it. Did you hear the way she was talking to him?"

"I wouldn't put it past her," Sokka growled. "That lady is just twisted."

"You're right," Katara said grimly, rising to her feet. Sokka nodded.

"Finally you admit it," he said.

"I'm going to find out what's going on here," Katara continued, ignoring her brother as she left the room.

* * *

Zuko's eyes flickered open for an instant, admitting dim green light into his vision. Only one idea permeated his aching skull: 

_I am hurt. _

No more intelligent or elaborate thoughts could be formed. He felt horrible: sick and childish and needy and small and sore and weak and dizzy.

"Katara," he groaned as his mind slowly returned to his control. His voice was raw and cracked. He added another point to his list of complaints: _I'm thirsty._ But that could wait. First he had to wake up Katara. She was sleeping, of course, and hadn't heard him. But that didn't matter. Soon she would wake up, and she'd make everything better. His wounds would heal and his head would clear and his thirst would fade and he would feel happy and warm and loved.

But first he had to wake her up.

"Katara," he rasped again, trying to force his eyes to focus. "Where are you? It's...dark..."

_How long was I asleep? It was barely even twilight when... _Memory began to trickle back to him.

_We came to Omashu... _

_We were at the market... _

_And then Sen showed up... _

_And she tried to hurt- _

"Katara!" he cried, sitting up too quickly. His body protested violently to the offense, and he crumpled immediately. His breath was shallow and forced as he fought not to cry out at the pain. Dozens of once clotted wounds reopened, as his battered body tried in vain to function with beaten muscles and bruised flesh. His vision swirled in bright light and unnatural colors, blinding him to his surroundings.

_Where is Katara? Where is Katara? What did Sen do? Please, please, please, don't let Katara be dead._

_Please let her be all right... _

His teeth were clenched against the pain, so hard that he feared they would break. An eternity passed, though it might have been a few seconds, and finally the pain ebbed away to a tolerable point.

"Katara...Please..."

_She promised, _he thought._ She promised me. She said that she wouldn't leave me. She wouldn't break that promise. Not unless someone's keeping her from me._

"Where are you?"

* * *

Katara found it very easy to get lost in Bumi's palace. Considering his nature, she vaguely suspected that this had been the entire point of its construction, but it was frustrating nonetheless. At last she gave up and decided to ask one of the guards for help. Though she refused to admit it, she had developed a grudge against them all for treating Zuko so cruelly, but the labyrinth halls had left her with little other choice. 

"Excuse me," she said, tapping one of the guards. He glanced at her, hesitating for a moment, then shrugged.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

_No. I just always wanted to meet a guard_. She pushed the sarcasm from her mind. _Focus, Katara._

"Yes...I was wondering, do you know where Sen is? She's the woman who brought Zuko in..." The guard looked puzzled.

"She's in her chambers," he said. "Sleeping, I think."

"Sleeping? In the palace?" _She has her own room here? Since when?_

"Where else? She sleeps during the day. Works at night. Everyone knows that."

"Oh. Right. Thank you. And...could you help me find the King? I need to speak to him." The guard shot her another skeptical look.

"Sure..." he said. "Follow this hallway, go left when you reach the statue of the...'Flopsie'...and turn right at the second door. You'll probably find him."

"Thank you," Katara said again, hurrying off.

The guard's earlier words pressed on her mind. '_Works at night_'...there was no need to wonder what that work could be. And it made enough sense; she had only seen Sen once during the day; all the other incidents had occurred near dawn or dusk. Strangely enough, it reminded Katara of the stories Sokka used to tell her when he wanted to frighten her. They were often about terrible monsters, which slept until sunset and drank human blood by the light of the moon.

"Hello, Katara." She jumped, half expecting to see one of the fairytale monsters lurking behind her. She relaxed somewhat when she saw the strange, wrinkled old face of King Bumi.

"Oh...it's you," she said. The old king grinned.

"Is there something you need?" he asked. "Or are you out for an afternoon spook?" His grin widened, and Katara could only assume that he had made some kind of joke. She smiled weakly at him.

"I...wanted to talk to you," she said.

"Congratulations. It seems that you've succeeded."

"No, I mean, about Zuko." She looked pleadingly up at the King. "He's hurt, and I swear, he didn't do anything wrong-"

"Attacking one of my guards isn't nothing, Katara."

"But he didn't! He got in a fight with Sen. That's all."

"Exactly. And she is one of the city guards for the last two weeks." Katara's eyes widened in alarm.

"No..." she breathed. "King Bumi, I don't think you understand. Sen is working for the Fire Nation. She's been working for Zhao for months, at least-"

"You know, it's rude to bore people with the redundant," Sen drawled, walking calmly down the hall. "You sound like an idiot."

"What?" Katara demanded, for an instant remembering those stories again. The bounty hunter shrugged.

"He already knows all of that."

"That's half the reason I sent for her," King Bumi agreed. Katara stared.

"You..._sent_...for one of the Fire Nation's bounty hunters?" she said.

"It can be taught," Sen remarked sarcastically. "Imagine that."

"Yes, but she's working for me now," Bumi said cheerfully.

"But..." Katara stammered. "She was working for Zhao. She's been hunting us like animals for months! She's from the Fire Nation-"

"Correct again!" Sen exclaimed. "Tell me, Katara, how_ever_ did you figure it out? Was it the color of my skin, perhaps? Or maybe my hair? Or maybe it was my charming disposition?" She smirked coldly at the younger girl. "Oh, that's right. It's because I'm just plain evil, right? Because you know that _everyone_ from the Fire Nation is. We're just a bunch of bloodthirsty killers, right? Just a bunch of power hungry monsters, out to take over the world. Every last one of us."

"Zuko's nothing like that," Katara snapped.

"Are you sure?" the bounty hunter jeered. "That's odd. Last time I checked, he's Fire Nation, just like me. In fact, he's our dear _Prince_."

"It doesn't matter. He isn't-"

"Then I suppose we're all just poor, misunderstood little lambs, then?"

"Stop that!"

"I'll do whatever I want," Sen said coolly. "You're the one who should watch your tongue. At least until you know what you're talking about." Without another word, she walked away, blatantly ignoring Katara's freezing glare.

"Arguments between women are fascinating," King Bumi observed cheerfully. "A little frightening sometimes, but fascinating."

"Your highness, please. I'm sorry about what happened, and I know that Zuko is, too. But we honestly didn't mean to cause any trouble. And I promise, if you'll just let him out, he won't do anything wrong. He isn't a bad person."

"Then why did he start a fight in my city?" the King asked skeptically. "Fire can do much damage when it goes awry."

"He wasn't 'going awry'. He was trying to protect Aang and me. Sen's been trying to kill us for months, and he thought..."

"I can understand him wanting to keep the Avatar safe," King Bumi noted. "But why would he care what happens to you?"

"Of course he cares!" Katara cried. "He loves me!"

"That's a bold sentiment," he said sagely. "Too bad it's wasted." He sighed. "Nothing is sweeter than unrequited love. It really is a shame that you don't feel that way about him-"

"That's not true!" Katara protested, a few breaths short of frantic. "I do love him! I wouldn't have agreed to marry him if-" her mouth snapped shut.

_I shouldn't have said that. He isn't supposed to know that._

A mischievous grin spread across the King's face.

"I mean...I..."

"Married, him?" he crooned. Katara's face went red.

"I didn't say...I meant..."

"A wedding! Wonderful! Am I invited? Can Flopsy play the music?"

"I didn't..."

"You shall have to choose flowers at once! Do you have any bridesmaids in mind?"

"Please- stop..." Katara squeaked. After a few more babbled plans, he paused suddenly.

"So," he said cheerfully. "When's the wedding?"

"King Bumi..." she said helplessly. "Please don't tell anyone. Nobody's supposed to know!" He looked delighted.

"Nobody?" he asked slyly.

"We haven't even told Sokka and Aang yet."

"Aha! A secret engagement! How exciting." Katara was exasperated, but she couldn't help agreeing. Since Zuko had proposed officially to her, long ago, back on his ship, they had discussed their plans often, but as for an actual wedding...

"I'll keep your secret, then," King Bumi said. "No problem. But you have to keep me informed." Katara stared at him for a relieved moment.

"All right," she said quickly.

"So tell me, Katara. Why the big secret?" Katara looked uneasy.

"Sokka still kind of...doesn't like Zuko," she explained. King Bumi offered her look of mixed sympathy and amusement. He pulled a large melon from his sleeve. Why the King was carrying fruit in his clothes was a mystery to Katara, but she didn't comment.

"What's wrong? Cantaloupe?" Katara suppressed a groan at the pun.

"Well, eloping isn't exactly an option," she said, deciding to ignore it.

"And why not?"

"Zuko's a wanted man."

"It's a good thing you're not the jealous type." This time Katara released a hesitant laugh.

"Right. But we can't exactly walk into the nearest temple and ask them to marry us. Bounty hunters would be all over him."

"I see. That does pose a problem," King Bumi said thoughtfully. "But you know, marriage means commitment."

"I know that," Katara said evenly.

"Of course, so does insanity." This time her laugh was soft, but sincere.

"Does that mean that you'll let him go?" she asked. He looked pensive for a moment.

"No," he said at last. "But I'll tell you what you can do."

* * *

It took time and excruciating effort for Zuko to lift himself from his resting place. His sore muscles screamed in protest as he stretched them, hoping to loosen them enough for use. His body wanted rest. 

Recovery.

But that wasn't an option at the moment. He had priorities.

_First thing_, he thought strategically. _Find Katara. Make sure she's safe. Then find Sen's sorry hide and grind it into something sharp and coated with salt. Then escape from this wretched cell...Wait...No..._ It seemed that even his mind had lost a few faculties in the last fight. Slowly, gingerly, painfully, he continued his stretches. All four walls around him were solid stone; he would need a good range of motion if he intended to fight his way out of his prison.

* * *

"Excuse me," a timid voice said. Katara turned, slightly surprised. A young girl, barely nine years old, bowed meekly before she pointed a pale hand at the door frame that led to the dungeon. "Is that the Ange- I mean, Zuko's room?" She said his name carefully, her large amber eyes shining with hope. Katara turned to the guard that accompanied her. He nodded kindly, but the girl's hopeful eyes had turned to the doorway, and she didn't see. 

"Yes, it is," Katara said. The girl smiled shyly.

"Are...are you going to go see him?" she asked. Katara couldn't help thinking that the child was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen.

"That's right," she told her gently. The girl's smile broadened into a relieved grin, and she took a glass container from one of her pockets.

"Can you give this to him?" she asked. "I saw that he was hurt, and this will help, and...and I hope he feels better soon."

"Thank you," Katara said. "I'm sure he'll really appreciate it." A cute little blush stained the little girl's cheeks.

"Really?" she asked hopefully. "It's a salve," she explained hastily. "It helps with cuts. And bruises, too. But he shouldn't eat it, or put it too close to his eyes."

"All right," Katara said, accepting the salve. The girl bowed shyly and darted away before Katara could say anything else.

"Sweet little kid," the guard said fondly, before turning back to face the 'doorway'. At the moment, it was a block of solid stone, identical to the wall around it, except for the carved frame that surrounded the large rectangle of otherwise empty space. "Prepare yourself for anything," he said, returning to a grimly determined demeanor. Firmly grounding his foot, he raised his arms, as though lifting something huge and heavy. Obediently, the stone wall shifted up from within the door frame. Sickly green light splashed out of the chamber, shedding some color on Katara and her guard. For a moment she saw a solitary figure silhouetted against the dim light, set in a hostile fighting stance.

"Zuko?" she asked automatically. The figure's head jerked to look at her face. Zuko tried to rise from the stance, but he overbalanced, stumbling to the side. In an instant, Katara was beside him, supporting him so he wouldn't fall. Once he was steady, she helped him to a rough stone pallet, the only furniture in the cell.

"Katara," he rasped, clumsily cupping her cheek with one hand. "Are you all right?" His voice was torn and ragged, and the rest of him was no better. She felt blood on her face where his hand touched it. His face had been scored with dozens of shallow cuts and cruel bruises, and his shirt had been reduced to dusty shreds, barely hiding hundreds more. It seemed that every inch of his body had been mangled.

And yet the first words out of his mouth were of concern for her! She wanted to hug him, but held back, too afraid that she would disturb the tender wounds and cause him even more pain. She looked questioningly at the guard.

"Please," she began.

"You have one hour," he said firmly, before backing defensively from the room and sealing it behind him.

Katara quickly put the salve aside and unfastened her water skin, drawing out an orb of crystal clear water.

"You need to drink something," she said. He nodded wearily and lowered his face to the orb, sipping it as it hovered above her hand. Often he coughed, doubling over from pain. Katara nearly let the orb fall, but he stubbornly shook his head and took another sip, soothing his parched throat.

Finally his thirst was sated, and though he still sounded weary, his voice wasn't so raw. He was in some comfort, at least, as Katara's hands glided just over his skin, bringing cool relief to his wounds with the Water Healing.

The injuries still looked raw, though, and she decided at last to use the salve the little girl had given her. Katara had been cautious about the gift; she didn't doubt the girl's innocence, but there were too many people (mainly Sen) who would gladly put a container of poison in the hands of a child.

Tentatively, Katara rubbed the salve onto her fingers and touched them to one of the largest cuts. Zuko jerked, and he sucked in his breath in a fierce spasm.

"Sorry," Katara said quickly. "Did I hurt you? Did I-"

"It's all right," Zuko said gently, catching her hand in his, and gently replacing it on the gash on his chest. Katara hesitated before Zuko caught her in his powerful gaze. She could feel the strained cadence of his breathing, the simple rhythm of his pulse. "It stings a little bit. Keep going." He cringed as she continued to apply the medicine, but made no complaint.

"You don't have to stay here, Katara," he told her as she unwrapped gauze bandages from her pack.

"I know," she said. "But I want to. I want to be here with you."

"Not just in the cell. In the city. You can go wherever you want. You don't have to stay here for me."

"I'm not going anywhere without you." She began to wrap the most severe cut on his chest.

"You won't have to," he insisted. "I won't stay here either. I'll take the first chance I can get to escape. I'll follow right behind you." Katara shook her head.

"No...you can't escape from here," she said.

"I can, Katara. I'll find a way."

"That's not what I mean...I know you can. But please, don't." Zuko looked puzzled.

"Why not?"

"Zuko, you aren't here because you're being punished. King Bumi...he's trying to protect you."

"And how was he planning on doing that?" he asked a little too sharply. Katara looked uneasy as she began to wrap his forehead.

"He knows that you didn't do anything wrong. But nobody else believes it. The people of the city...there's thousands of them...and they won't let you leave the city alive. King Bumi had to put you here, or Sen would have told them, and they'd have sent somebody to kill you." Zuko looked almost hurt.

"I can handle an assassin," he protested.

"But can you handle a thousand?"

"Are you...asking me to just accept this?" he asked. "To stay here? I can get out, Katara. I know I can. _You_ know I can."

"I know," Katara said softly, taking his hand, steadily meeting his gaze. "But I'm begging you: please, stay alive. I don't want to lose you." Behind her, the wall opened, admitting the guard.

"You're out of time," he said stiffly. "It's time to go." Katara gave Zuko's hand a gentle squeeze, and stepped away from his pallet, out of his small, dimly lit cell, into the cruel brightness of the free world.

* * *

The days seemed to pass at a cruel rate for Katara. The palace guards, convinced that Zuko was a psychotic monster, only allowed her to visit him once a day, and then only for a half hour. She felt horrible, but was determined not to let Sen's schemes completely ruin her mood. Searching for a distraction, she continued to train Aang when King Bumi wasn't teaching him to Earthbend. Occasionally she watched the lessons, as well as Sokka's personal training. When all else failed, she began to explore the vast hallways of the palace, searching for nothing in particular. 

It was during one of these walks that she stumbled on a garden. It was large, set on the roof of one of the towers, and filled with elaborate foreign flowers and herbs. Katara wandered aimlessly around the plants, wondering vaguely what they were, and where they had come from, and why these were apparently the only ornaments in the palace that weren't made of stone.

She almost didn't notice when she reached a small jade fountain, merrily churning water into the air before it landed in a small bowl. The latter was uninteresting, except for the fact that it was being held by a little girl. The child glanced up idly, and then again, in sudden surprise, accompanied by a slight cry.

"Oh! Sorry," she started, though Katara had no idea what the girl was apologizing for.

"Don't worry about it," she began. "I didn't mean to scare you..."

"Sorry," the girl said again, bowing slightly after she placed the bowl on the ground. "Can I help you with anything?"

"No, that's all right," Katara assured her. "I was just looking around...and I wanted to thank you for the salve. Zuko did, too. It really helped him." The girl's face brightened instantly. A broad grin spread across her face, and her eyes glistened in awe.

"Really?" she squeaked happily. "I hoped so! I worked really hard on it!"

"You made it?" The child nodded vigorously.

"My mother taught me how. She knows everything about plants."

"Wow. Are these her flowers?" Again, the little girl nodded. Katara smiled at her enthusiasm, then remembered herself. "Oh, and I'm Katara. What's your name?" The little girl grinned again.

"I'm Ling Xi," she said with another short bow. "Pleased to meet you."

* * *

Zuko stared blankly at the wall before him as he sat on his pallet. Katara had already come to see him, and the idiot guards weren't about to let her come back. He had practiced Firebending, though the endless repetition was beginning to grind on his nerves, and the smoke he created seemed to take forever to escape through the sparse ventilation shafts. 

He had only been imprisoned for five days, and already he felt the burning hunger to escape, if only to disturb the sheer monotony.

_It must be that blasted Karma that Uncle was babbling about_, he mused miserably. He really missed Uncle Iroh and all his maddening habits. _This is what I get for trying to capture Aang for six months_.

A section of the wall rippled and vanished, and two Earthbending guards entered, quickly closing the door behind them. This was his other daily visit- the imbeciles who received the task of bringing him his meal. Neither of them felt any measure of warmth toward the Prince, usually ignoring him completely. He responded in kind. Yet today they glanced at him as they set about their task, though they didn't pause their conversation.

"-You must admit that it's a clever plan. There's no way she could lose,"the first guard said.

"There's plenty of ways," the second argued stubbornly.

"Is not! Imagine: if our side wins the war, she's got nothing to worry about. She's friends with the Avatar! It ain't like they're going to argue with him! And if our side loses-"

"Don't even joke like that!" the second guard spat.

"I'm just being realistic. If we _do_ lose, where is she? Kissing up to the Fire Nation's Prince! And is anybody going to say a word? 'Course not, unless they want to deal with _him_," he waved a hand at Zuko, who was now watching them coldly. "You've got to face facts: she's got power, even if she is a slut."

"Shut up." Zuko growled, rising from his bed. His eyes were narrowed, but they blazed dangerously in the midst of his scarred face. One of the guards raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong, boy?" he asked. "Don't like the way I'm talking about your little-" He had no chance to finish before Zuko's fist connected with his jaw, throwing him back several feet. The second guard tried to attack, but he, too, was hurled across the room, this time by a vicious kick. The guards were struck by another barrage of attacks, until they landed in a heap outside the cell.

"You will not speak of her like that again," Zuko commanded, standing regally just within the door. The guards scrambled to their feet in all but panic, rushing to close the door before he could come through after them.

But Zuko had no intention of following the guards. Katara wanted him to stay there. And that's what he planned to do, until she said otherwise.

As for the guards...he had done worse to a greater number in the past. Reminding a pair of foul mouthed Earthbenders of their manners had been no difficulty. He grimaced as he picked up what seemed to be a piece of bread from his meal.

* * *

"He's getting more dangerous," a worried man muttered. 

"I'm not surprised."

"I didn't ask if you were surprised," he snapped. "You're supposed to do something about it!"

"And I will. Just not right away."

"Then when?" he demanded. Sen leaned casually against the wall.

"Tonight. You'll see your results tonight."

* * *

Katara shifted fitfully in her sleep. Her dreams were scattered and random, but at last her mind slowed enough for her to make sense of the images. 

_She was in Zuko's arms. He held her tight, close. _

"_I'm cold," she murmured. _

_Sokka stood nearby, his boomerang readied for battle, with an imaginary foe, most likely. Aang was more distant, watching her and Zuko with heavy eyes. _

"_I'm cold," she said again. Zuko pulled her closer, letting his normally hot breath dance on her neck. But only frost formed on her clothes, driven on by a chilling wind. She shivered and nestled deeper into his embrace, hoping for some shelter from the frigid air and the dense fog that was closing in. All around them, the earth began to lose its color, fading to desolate gray. _

"_It's coming," Sokka said quietly. _

"_Katara!" Aang cried. "Get-" She heard a heavy thud, and he fell to the ground, a knife in his back. _

"_Aang!" she screamed. _

_Sokka raised his boomerang to fight, but stopped in his tracks. He was frozen in place, as though encased in ice. _

"_Sokka! Sokka!" Behind him, an ominous figure approached through the mist. Katara couldn't see its face, but she didn't need to: there was no mistaking that skeletally thin body... _

"_Zuko..." Katara whispered, trying to find her water skin, but it had disappeared from her back. Her knife was also gone. Zuko said nothing. The figure approached, drawing a long, vicious dagger. _

"_Zuko!" she tried to hide her face in his chest, but he seemed to turn away. Her eyes opened in confusion, and she saw him fall to the gray earth, his eyes blank and unseeing. _

"_Zuko!" She turned to face the figure, raising her arms in a feeble shield as Sen's knife was plunged down-_

Katara bolted up in bed. Her breathing was painfully heavy, her eyes wide, and her entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. She forced herself to still long enough to listen.. Aang's peaceful breathing sounded from a bed close to hers. Sokka was snoring contentedly on her other side.

_It was just a dream_, she told herself. _Just a dream...Just a... _

Her eyes adjusted more fully to the darkness, and she noticed a slow, subtle movement. Her gaze fixated on a dark human figure, looming ominously over her bed.

"Wh-who's there?" she whispered, but she didn't listen for a reply. Her eyes had finally locked on the figure's hand, and the long, fanglike object that rested there. It flashed as it caught a speck of light from the shaded window.

A knife.

And Katara did the only thing left in her power.

She screamed.

* * *

Zuko's eyes flew open at the sound of the cry. It was long, terrified, blood chilling, and hauntingly familiar. But nothing prepared him for the scream's sudden end. 

"Katara?" he said, leaping from his bed. "Katara!" In two strides he was at the blank wall where his door should have been, pounding his fists against the wall.

"Hey! Open this door! I need to go to Katara! Let me out! In mercy's name, _let me out_!" Yet only the cold silence met his pleas. He withdrew from the wall, his eyes wide with horror. His hands were bloody from pounding on the stone wall, but he didn't care.

"LET ME _OUT_!" he shouted into the empty air, sending a blast of flame at the wall, and another, another, another. Around him the air rippled with the heat of fury, of his attacks, but most of all, of fear.

He would melt the entire palace, if it would help him get to Katara. But that would make no difference.

Not if he came too late.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer:Afterall this time,do you seriously expect me to own anything? Anything at all?I didn't think so.

AN:As promised, it is still the weekend. I will probably be reposting thissoon,whenone of my beta's send it back. But until then, here is Chapter 15!

And remember to Review!

* * *

_No you don't know what it's like  
When nothing feels alright  
You don't know what it's like to be like me_

-_Welcome to My Life_, by Hoobastank

**Chapter 15**

Chaos ripped through the room.

A dark figure raced from the room, his weapon falling, forgotten, to the floor.

Aang and Sokka snapped into consciousness, rolling haphazardly out of their beds, ready to protect Katara.

A dozen armed guards raced into the still dark room, baring their weapons at the emptiness before a light was finally summoned.

"What's going on here?" one of the guards demanded.

"There," Katara managed to say, though she was shaking visibly. "Somebody was standing there...he had a knife..."

"An assassin?" one man suggested.

"Probably just a nightmare," another said.

"That wasn't a dream," Aang said defiantly. He bent down and picked up a long, steel knife. "Somebody was here." Katara swallowed. She had personally been wishing that the stranger had been nothing more than her imagination.

"That's not one of ours," said a third guard.

"It looks like it came from the Fire Nation." Sokka and Aang exchanged glances.

"That doesn't mean anything," another noted. "There are dozens of weapons merchants in the marketplace. Anybody could have bought one."

"Or they could have brought one from home," Sokka said quietly.

"Do you think that renegade Prince-"

"Not Zuko," Aang interrupted. His eyes locked on the weapon. _Sen_.

* * *

Aang carefully approached her the next day. She shot him a knowing glance, but didn't pause as she meandered down one of the winding hallways.

"Hey," he said, preparing himself for anything. She glanced his way again, but said nothing. "Where were you last night?" he demanded. "Katara was-"

"You think I attacked your precious crush," the bounty hunter scoffed, never slowing her pace. Aang set his jaw. Had he been that obvious? But it didn't matter.

"Yes," he said. Sen shrugged.

"Of course I did. About a dozen times. I even slit her throat once, if you were paying attention. I believe you and your dear rival took turns patching her up."

"I'm not talking about then! I mean last night!" Sen stopped for a moment.

"That's a good theory, Aang. But you've forgotten something: I'm nowhere near the palace at night. I'm out in the city, making sure all the big, bad criminals get put in jail. Dozens of people saw me. Ask them." She turned to walk away.

"But they didn't see you there the entire time," Aang said quietly. "Nobody would have stopped you from coming back for a few minutes." Sen glanced over her shoulder.

"You know, for the Avatar, you're not too bright."

"What?"

Without hesitation, Sen lunged at him, thrusting a knife under his chin. She stopped just short, her weapon resting dangerously on his throat, her eyes wild. Before Aang had a chance to react, her expression steeled and she straightened.

"If I was the one in your room last night, your dear crush would not have survived. But when I do kill her, I swear I'll do it in style."

* * *

"Please let me in," Katara begged. The guard shook his head.

"It's too dangerous. The prisoner is obviously unstable. He may try to harm you."

"_Zuko_ would never hurt me!" Katara protested. "And he isn't 'unstable.' What happened?"

"He went berserk last night. Attacked two guards and then destroyed his cell."

"What do you mean, 'destroyed'?"

"Started screaming and throwing fireballs across the cell. Nearly melted the walls before we got a chance to restrain him." Katara cringed. She could imagine what they meant by 'restrain'... "That's why we had to move him here."

"Let me see him," she said again.

"I already told you, it's too dangerous."

"I don't care! I want to see him!"

"No."

"Please!"

"You're obviously still upset from this morning," the guard said, motioning to a few of his comrades. "You need to get some rest." Two other guards seized Katara from behind, half dragging her away from the cell.

"No! Please, I have to talk to him! Please!"

* * *

Zuko stared disdainfully at the minuscule hole that opened at the bottom of the wall. A small tray of bread and water was hastily shoved through the opening, and then it was quickly closed again. All of his meals for the past three days had been delivered like that, ever since he had heard Katara scream in the middle of the night.

The bread and pieces of meat were dusty, the water was in a small bowl, almost like a dog's dish. Altogether, the guards treated him like some kind of feral animal. But that didn't bother him. He had one concern now: Katara. She hadn't come to see him since that night, and he could only guess at what had happened to her. Horrible visions swam through his mind, and he sat down on his new bed, ignoring his rations. He had to keep hoping. He couldn't give up. If Katara had died, Sokka and Aang would have fount a way to tell him about it.

Unless they were dead, too. He couldn't imagine either one letting anything happen to her.

Zuko felt alone. Isolated. More out of despair than anything else, he struggled to think of what his Uncle would have told him.

"_I'm sure she is all right, _the old man might have said_. Perhaps she is preparing a surprise...or finding a way to free you, as we speak. You must not lose Hope, Prince Zuko._

_You must not lose Hope._

* * *

"East by southeast," Iroh repeated for the hundredth time since he had heard Sen say it.

_Though you don't need to bother remembering that,_ the bounty hunter had said. _Just follow Zhao's men. They'll be marching this way in a few weeks_.

The ship had been all but abandoned, left in one of the Fire Nation's ports, but he didn't need it anymore. Sen's instructions led him across land, and the rhinos were the surest mounts through the rough terrain.

He wasn't sure if Zuko even wanted to see him again; the boy had left so suddenly...but Iroh was worried to the point of misery without his dear nephew. He wanted to see him again, one more time. Even if it was just to say goodbye.

* * *

Katara smiled slightly as her fingers brushed across the velvet rose petals. Ling Xi was especially proud of these: they were deep red, perfectly formed, with thin, elegant thorns rising from their stems. The little girl watered the rest of her flowers, striking up soft conversation as she worked.

"Are they anything like the one Zuko gave you?" she asked, brushing dirt from her knees. Katara looked up in surprise.

"...Yes..." she started. "How did you know about that?" Ling Xi grinned proudly.

"He bought it from me." Katara smiled as well.

_That explains how she knows him._ But there was one major flaw in that logic...

"But he gave it to me in Port Sechi." Ling Xi nodded.

"Mother and I used to live there. Before we came here." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why won't they let you see him anymore? The guards, I mean," she added. Katara bit her lip thoughtfully.

"I..I'm not sure. They keep saying that he's dangerous..."

"But he's not!"

"That's what I said. But they won't listen to me." Ling Xi bit her lip.

"Then maybe they'll listen to me."

* * *

The guards looked uncomfortable.

"He won't hurt anybody," the little girl insisted. "I promise. He's the Angel Man."

"Yes...but..." one of the guards said. "Well...we can't let him out...big orders...and..."

"But you could let us see him, right?" the girl said, a hopeful sparkle entering her eyes.

"...Maybe later..." another said.

"Please?"

"Why don't you run along and play, honey?" a third said hastily. Ling Xi offered a solemn nod.

"Sorry," she said when the guards were out of earshot. "That isn't going to work."

"That's all right," Katara said gently. "You did your best. There was nothing else you could do."

"No..." Ling Xi looked thoughtful. A slight smile crept across her face. "But I bet my sister can!"

"What? You have a sister?"  
"Yes! She'll know what to do. Hold on!" she cried, sprinting down the hall before Katara could say another word.

* * *

Sen walked sullenly across one of the courtyards. She had been sleeping perfectly a few minutes before, but twilight was quickly approaching, and she would have to hunt for criminals outside the palace walls. _Again_. She glanced to the side- smoke was billowing from one of the dozens of ventilation shafts in a nearby wall. Vaguely Sen wondered if it led to _his_ cell...

"Anybody in there?" she called into the hole.

Silence.

And then:

"Who's there?" Came a muffled, distorted reply. The sound had echoed through the shaft so many times that it couldn't be recognized, but she associated it immediately with Zuko, if only because of the smoke that accompanied the words.

"A fellow prisoner," was her answer to his demand. Clearly her own voice was as distorted as his. She heard a faint chuckle. _Odd_... She hadn't heard him laugh before.

"So I'm not the only one," he mused.

"Not by a long shot."

"Have you heard any news?" she guessed that there was some caution in his voice.

"Plenty of it," she replied. "The guards like to talk to me. What do you have in mind?"

"Inside the palace," the caution gave way to imaginary hope. "Have you heard of a girl named Katara? Anything at all?" Sen hesitated thoughtfully.

"...Katara, hm?...I think so. Waterbender, right? Supposed to be really pretty, I've heard. The one who came with the Avatar?"

"That's her!" Zuko cried. "Can you tell me where she is now? Please?"

"At the moment? It's hard to say."

"Never mind that, do you know if she's all right?" He was talking quickly, and his words were barely intelligible after their journey through the long chamber between them.

"I suppose so," Sen said, ignoring his enthusiasm. "But she got a big scare a few days ago."

"Is she all right? Was she hurt? What happened?" In her mind's eye, Sen could almost see Zuko pressing his face against the tiny shaft, desperately clinging to her every word.

"Either you really like to hear gossip," Sen mused. "Or you really like this girl. That's it, isn't it? You like her?"

"More than you can imagine," he said softly. His voice was tender now.

"Good luck with that. Usually prisoners don't have the best relationships with royal guests."

"...I know," Zuko admitted heavily. "But, please...was she hurt? Do you know?" Sen shrugged, though she knew he couldn't see.

"Some man got into her room with a knife. Scared the daylights out of her, and she screamed. But he got scared and ran off before he got the chance to do anything."

"And she's all right?"

"Spooked, but unhurt." There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"I don't think so," she muttered, leaving the hole and the prisoner behind. From the corner of her eye, she saw a little girl looking her way. Sen sighed.

"Are you happy now?" she asked. The girl nodded, and without further warning, rushed forward and hugged the bounty hunter around he waist.

"Thank you," she said. Sen looked away.

"Yeah...any time," she said, putting a tentative hand on the girl's shoulder. "Any time."

* * *

"Excuse me," Ling Xi said shyly, approaching the guards the next morning. "...Have you seen my sister? I can't find her." The guards exchanged glances.

"No," the first said. "Have you checked the kitchens? She might have gone there."

"I already looked," the little girl insisted.

"What about your garden?" another offered.

"I don't think so. She doesn't go there a lot."

"What about..."

Aang and Katara slipped quietly past the distracted guards. For an instant, Ling Xi's eyes followed them, but she quickly returned her attention to the men, making up more nonsense about her missing sister. A little further on, they paused. Aang raised his arms and concentrated, repeating King Bumi's last lesson in his mind. A sliver of the wall before him rippled, then fell away in a thousand grains of sand, just wide enough for him and Katara to slip through. Soon they were past the barrier, face to face with a genuinely shocked Zuko. He opened his mouth in some startled exclamation, but Katara hushed him, putting a finger to his lips. Readily he obeyed while Aang sealed the wall behind him, disguising all evidence that they had snuck into the cell.

"Funny," Zuko mused when it was again safe to speak, visibly trying to maintain a discreet distance. "Most people try to break _out_ of prison."

"You know us," Aang said. "Always ready to try something new." His eyes fell on what Zuko had assumed to be a slice of bread. "Unless it's that...it's supposed to be food, right?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Zuko admitted casually.

"Has it started moving yet?" Katara asked.

"Not while I'm looking at it."

"Then at least it's polite," Aang mused. "But I think we'll be bringing your food from now on."

"I think your roommate will appreciate that," Katara said, touching the presumed food. It looked stale and moldy. "Has it always been this bad?" she asked. She noticed another

"Not until they moved me to this cell."

"That's not like Bumi," Aang said quietly. "Why would he do that?"

"As far as I know, he hasn't been told," Zuko said. "From what I've heard, he didn't arrange any of this."

"Sen?" Aang said automatically. The bounty hunter seemed to have a hand in everything recently.

"She had something to do with it...But I don't think she was the only one. This room is much bigger than the last one." He was right; now that they looked, Aang and Katara recognized the cell that they had been brought to during their last stay at Omashu.

"Yeah. I think they call it the 'Newly Refurbished Chamber That Used To Be Bad...'" Aang recited. "Or something like that.

"What does that make the last one?"  
"The Currently Bad Chamber That Will Someday Be Refurbished," Katara suggested. The reunion was more humorous than she had expected it to be, but some unspoken pact had been formed, that no one would allow the mood to become any darker.

"I think they'll have to start soon," Zuko shrugged. "I didn't exactly clean up before I left."

"Because of that?" Aang asked, pointing at the Prince's hands. They were bruised and covered with rough scabs. He had kept them out of sight before, but now they caught everyone's attention.

"Zuko," Katara breathed, readying a pearl of water to heal him. "What happened?"

"Nothing important," he said. "What about you? Did that man hurt you?"

"He didn't get a chance," Katara assured him lightly, trying to restore the easy atmosphere that had been so quickly shattered.

"Hey Katara," Aang said quietly. "We need to get going soon. I'm not sure how long Ling Xi can keep the guards distracted."

"Ling Xi?"

"Katara made a friend. A little girl. You'd love her, Zuko." He readied his stance and opened a thin opening in the wall. Katara smiled at the Prince and turned to leave, only to feel a firm tug on her hand. She turned back for an instant to see what was wrong, and Zuko's hands cupped her face, and he bestowed a swift, passionate kiss on her lips. It ended as quickly as it had come, and Zuko lifted his lips to her ear.

"Soon," he whispered so only she could hear. "Come back to me soon." She nodded weakly, still dizzy from his kiss.

Aang watched helplessly, his emotions swirling chaotically within his chest. He was glad that Zuko was safe, and Katara was happy, but...sometimes, it just didn't seem fair. He cared about Katara. Really cared about her. But she didn't see- had never seen him as anything more than a little friend. Maybe, if life had continued as it once had, everything might have been fine. If Katara just didn't notice his hints, if he was just too scared to say anything, if he could dream and wish in secret...but that reality died with Zuko's arrival. Now Aang was left with those bitter, beautiful reminders- their kisses, their embraces, even the way Zuko now whispered into her ear while she seemed to cling to him for dear life. Aang wanted it all,and he wanted it badly. But it was too far gone already: claimed and won by Zuko's hand. Aang didn't hold it against the Prince. He and Zuko were friends now, after all, and Aang had come to help him as much as to please Katara. Zuko was a member of the group.

And yet, the two of them still weren't close. Despite their kindled alliance, both still remembered a time when they had been predator and prey, and even now, that division remained between them: an unspoken knowledge of that terrible truth: _I loved her first. But she chose you._

The embrace ended at last, and Zuko helped Katara through the hole. Just as Aang prepared to follow, Zuko ducked his head to the Avatar's ear.

"Don't let anything happen to her," he whispered. "Please." Aang nodded. Zuko continued: "You still need to learn Firebending?" Another nod. "I can teach you." Aang nodded again. Past the cell's exit, the guards were returning, finally finished with Ling Xi's distraction. Carefully Aang slipped from the hole and sealed it behind him.

* * *

Sokka wandered purposefully through the hallway. He was sure that the kitchens were close by...if only he hadn't gotten distracted by those girls a few minutes before, he wouldn't have lost his way. Not that he minded, of course...

A slight movement drew his attention in a far corner, and he paused to get a better look. Sen was reclined across a couch, a crystal glass in one hand and a tall bottle at her feet.

She looked at once luxurious and ragged, with fine clothes hanging from her too thin body, her ebony hair drawn into some elaborate style before it was tousled into freedom. Slender fingers played idly with the rim of the glass while her dark, haunting eyes stared off into nothingness.

Sokka stopped and watched as she raised the glass to her lips, taking a long sip. After a moment she grimaced and spat it out, spraying the floor with foul smelling liquid.

"Putrid," she muttered. "How does anyone drink this venom?"

"If it's that disgusting, why do you drink it?" Sokka asked, carefully stepping around the puddle of wine. Sen refilled the glass and took another sip, swallowing bitterly.

"It makes me numb," she said wearily.

"What?"

"Numb. I don't want to feel. If you can't feel, you can't hurt. And you can't care." She paused, reflectively pouring herself another glass. "Life is a lot simpler, if you just don't care." She sounded calm. Rational. She was obviously drunk. Yet Sokka found her fascinating. So far, no amount of logic had been able to decipher her.

"Is it working?" he asked.

"No." She took another sip.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because _His Majesty_ thought I needed a day off," her voice was low with scorn."He thinks it'll help my nerves. He thinks I need _his_ help. And _his_ protection. He thinks I'm so _helpless_ that I can't survive without _his_ charity. It's sickening!" She drained the glass.

"Why would you need help?" Sokka asked cautiously. Sen looked up from the glass, not really seeing him.

"I don't. I can get by. I've been doing it for years. It's my sister..."

"You have a sister?" She nodded forlornly.

"Ling Xi..." Sokka's jaw dropped.

"_Her_? _She's_ your sister?"

"Funny, isn't it? We're nothing alike."

"What, was she adopted or something? What happened?" Sen's gaze darkened and she stared hatefully into her wine.

"The war happened. The Fire Lord happened." She took another swallow.

"The Fire Lord? I thought you were working for him."

"Don't remind me," she snapped. "If it wasn't for him and his stupid war, my father wouldn't be dead right now. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be..._this_!" she slammed her fist into the couch, but it sank harmlessly into an overstuffed pillow.

"What do you mean?" Sokka pressed. "What happened?"

"Just what I said..." she muttered. He dared to move closer, studying her carefully.

"You're not really insane, are you?" he asked quietly. She chuckled gently.

"No. I wish I was, though." She laughed, though the sound was sad, pensive. She laid back in the couch, covering her face with her free hand. "If I was crazy, then maybe I wouldn't regret what I was doing. Maybe I wouldn't care about how many people I hurt. Maybe I'd be able to look my mother in the eyes again..." She sighed heavily, allowing the foul odor of her breath to escape her mouth. "It isn't the Fire Lord's fault. It's mine."

"Yours?" She nodded. "How?"  
"I said...stupid things. And the Fire Lord...he got mad at me...So I took Ling Xi and my mother and I ran."

"To Omashu?" Sen nodded.

"King Bumi heard about me...and he sent some of his soldiers to get us. He gave me a job...and he gave them a place to stay...food to eat..." she took another sip of her otherwise forgotten wine. "I started hunting people so we could eat, you know. After my father died...six years ago?"

"But that's over. You've got a job-"

"It's never over. As soon as I stop being useful, we'll all get thrown from the city. Firebenders are not welcome here. Nor are their kin."

"But Bumi wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't he? Just like Zhao wouldn't? Like Ozai wouldn't? Don't be so sure! If I mess up once, you'll see: Ling Xi and my mother and I will be back on the street!"

"Is that why you're after Zuko?" Sokka said evenly. Sen shook her head.

"No...I can't. Ling Xi adores him. He's her idol. Her 'Angel Man.'"

"'Angel Man?'"

"He...gave her money once...when she was hungry...and I was away...he treated her kindly...and now she practically worships him...I can't...can't just kill him, after that..." Sokka's eyes narrowed. If Zuko was safe...

"I had a dream about you," he said suddenly. Sen grinned and lifted her glass to him.

"I commend your boldness," she said. "But you're really not my type."

"Not like that! You...you killed Katara. And Aang. I thought it was Zuko...but it was you, wasn't it?" Sen nodded sagely.

"The two great bounties." She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her robe and pushed it into Sokka's hand. He flattened it and gasped.

"Katara?"

"Yep. Zhao blames her, you know. He's got a scar that makes Zuko's look like a slight blemish. And he thinks that it never would have happened if Zuko hadn't gone to rescue Katara. Thinks he wouldn't have had the guts."

"But I-"

"Have never done anything to make him angry. Consider it a blessing, Sokka. Aang is only safe because dear King Bumi is threatening me to keep it that way."

"But Katara isn't?"

"No."

"And Zuko..." Sokka paused as realization dawned on him. "Has only been defending her this entire time. And if he's locked up, then he can't stop you..."

"Exactly."

"But it doesn't need to be this way!" Sokka protested. "Aang's the Avatar! He's trying to stop the war, remember? And if there's no war, there's no need for Ling Xi to join the army, and... and it'll work out. Trust me-"

"Don't waste my time with bedtime stories and fairytales!" Sen snarled, suddenly enraged. "Trust? Hope? Nothing but fantasy. Mercy is only a cruel joke played on the brainless. And the Avatar is nothing but another bounty. The bounty that'll save Ling Xi." Sokka backed away slightly.

"You think a bounty will save her?"

"I've still got a chance. _She's_ still got a chance. If I bring the Avatar to the Fire Lord, I might be able to reason with him. To let her stay out of the army. And the money from the bounty alone...she would never go hungry again. Mother could stop worrying about me."

"And you?"

"Maybe I'll just lay down and die."

"Die? But...what about your future? Don't you want to live with your sister? Do something else with your life?"

"Like what? Do you have any idea how many people want me dead? Do you honestly think Ling Xi would want anything to do with me, after I handed the Avatar over to a life's imprisonment? I have no future: I sold it six years ago for a sword and a loaf of bread." She fell silent, staring again at the half emptied glass, then suddenly hurled it against the far wall. The glass exploded into a burst of crystal and wine. She stood and calmly walked toward it, as though such things were ordinary, and picked up the largest shard. She wore a sad smile as she studied it.

"See? It's broken," she observed. "And it can never be whole again." She closed her hand over the shard, squeezing it tight. "But it can still cut." She opened her hand, blood flowing from brutal gashes in her palm and fingers. "Even when it's been destroyed, it can still kill." She moved to close her hand again, but Sokka grabbed her wrist, knocking the blood soaked shard from her grip. She stared stupidly at her mangled hand for a moment.

"Don't do that!" Sokka said, guiding her back to the couch. Almost instinctively, he cleaned off her hand with his sleeve and unwound a wrapping from his wrist.

"I'm drunk and insane," she said dryly. "What did you expect?"

"You aren't crazy," Sokka said stubbornly. "And you wouldn't be drunk if you'd lay off the wine." He tore the wrapping with his teeth and started to bandage her hand.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. Sokka didn't look up.

"You need to keep taking care of Ling Xi," he said. "And that'll be pretty hard if you're bleeding all over the place." He finished the bandage and released her hand. She smiled sadly.

"I recommend you stay out of my way," she said, finally looking up at him. "You're a good man, Sokka. Please, don't make me kill you."

"I'll try," he said. "But I won't let you hurt Katara."

* * *

"An interesting proposal," King Bumi said, nodding sagely. "Nobody's ever tried that before."

"It's a show of good faith," Aang said resolutely.

"More like a show of stupidity," Sen sneered. What are you going to do next? Put a viper on your pillow?"

"That's odd," Katara said. "I don't remember lending you any of my pillows." Around them the guards chattered excitedly. Sen ignored the remark.

"I trust Zuko," Aang defended.

"And I trust my knives. But that doesn't mean that I'll put them to my throat." She turned her steely gaze to the King. "This isn't even stupid. It's pure lunacy! Nobody in their right mind would approve such a suicidal-"

"Then it's a good thing that nobody in their right mind is in charge," King Bumi said cheerfully.

"So it's okay with you?" Sokka asked.

"Sure it is," King Bumi said. "Aang, from this point forward, Zuko will be your Firebending instructor." Sen glowered, but said nothing.

* * *

"Focus on the flame," Zuko said quietly. "Try not to let it waver." Aang stared at the small fire as it hovered midair, clearly concentrating with all his might. He began to go slightly blue.

"And don't forget to keep breathing," Zuko pointed out. Aang exhaled loudly, trying to catch his breath again. Meanwhile, the flame dissipated into nothing.

"I lost it," the Avatar muttered.

"It isn't supposed to be easy," Zuko pointed out. They both heard a faint grinding behind them, and looked back. An irate guard stood in the doorway, closely flanked by Katara, and a younger girl that trailed behind her like a duckling. Both of the girls had dozens of candles in their arms.

"We heard that Firebending is easier if you have something to burn," Katara said playfully. Zuko and Aang were on their feet in an instant, helping the girls with their loads.

"Who's this?" Zuko asked, nodding to the little girl.

"Ling Xi," Katara said. Immediately the girl blushed and attempted to bow, though her candles began to slide from her arms. "She's been helping us, and she made the salve for your wounds."

"Thank you," Zuko said. Ling Xi's eyes widened in ecstasy, and she chirped a delighted 'you're welcome' before meekly piling her candles on the floor.

"Can we watch?" Katara asked. Zuko nodded warmly, and Aang offered a cheerful 'sure'. The two girls smiled and sat down on one of the spare beds, carefully watching the lesson.

* * *

"You know, you act a lot more sober when you're actually drunk," Sokka pointed out as Sen passed him. She shrugged.

"Sobriety is overrated," she said. "And I won, anyway." Sokka's eyes narrowed.

"How? And what was the contest, anyway?"

"Life is a contest, Sokka. To see who survives in the end."

"And since when did you win?"

"Since I crippled you. It's that simple." Sokka pointed to his still perfect legs.

"No, you didn't. See? You didn't hurt me at all. You're the one who got your hand all cut up." Sen shook her head.

"The most damaging blows are not physical," she said. Sokka's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about, then?"

"Empathy," she replied simply. "Sympathy for one's opponent. The ability to see yourself in someone else. Had I cut off one of your legs, I couldn't have hindered you more."

"I...don't understand." Sen glanced heavenward.

"Yes, you do. You just don't want to admit it. You know what I'm doing, Sokka. And you know why I'm doing it. But tell me, if you were in my place, would you have done things any differently?"

He had no answer for this.

"If the murder of faceless, nameless strangers is the only way to protect my sister, it is still murder, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"But would you punish me for it?"

Sokka hesitated. He knew the answer. He just couldn't stand admitting it: if Katara had been the one in danger, he would have fought- even killed- a hundred people without a moment's hesitation.

"It's still wrong."

"I know it is. But it's a lot more right than letting her die in the Fire Lord's war." She sighed pensively. "And wrong and right don't matter, where emotion is concerned. The fact of the matter is this: when the time comes, you won't be able to kill me. You can't destroy me for something that you would have done yourself. But that little moral dilemma will cost you dearly, Sokka: in the time that it will take you to gather enough nerve to kill me, I can kill your sister a dozen times. As I said, I've won."

"That doesn't matter," Sokka said grimly. "I'm not the only one protecting her. Aang won't let anything happen to Katara. Neither will Zuko." Sen paused in mid stride.

"No," she admitted. "He won't. Therein lies an even greater problem."

"What?"

"Come with me," Sen said, waving for him to follow her. It was a pointless gesture, really, since he was already following her. But Sokka didn't argue.

"Where are we going?" he asked. Sen didn't answer him for a moment. She stopped sharply, turning to a guard.

"We need to see Prince Zuko's old cell," she said curtly. The guard nodded, and led them down a series of corridors, ending at last in the dungeon. He made an opening in the stone wall and stood aside, waiting for them to enter. Sen stepped into the dimly lit cell first, and Sokka quickly followed. For a moment, his eyes didn't adjust properly. But he quickly realized that what he saw was no trick of the dim light.

"What...what happened here?" he said, lightly touching one wall. White ash gathered on his fingertips. The entire wall had been mutilated, covered in deep scars where the stone had been partially melted, and all of it was charred an angry black, save for a few streaks of white ash. "Was it...always like this?"

"Always," Sen said. "Since the night your sister was attacked." Sokka shook his head.

"Did somebody go after Zuko, too?" he asked dumbly.

"He did this on his own. Completely on his own."

"But...why?" Sokka didn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. There was no way Zuko could be so powerful. It was impossible. It was just...

"Do you see those vents?" Sen asked, pointing to a hole in another of the walls. Sokka noticed with sudden surprise that the remaining three walls were just barely singed. None of them had suffered the abuse of the fourth. "Sound passes through them without difficulty. Almost a week ago, Zuko heard your sister's scream through those vents."

"No way..." Sokka said, realizing what had to come next.

"He tried to tear down the wall with his bare hands. And when that didn't work, he decided to burn his way through."

"But Katara's okay," Sokka said. "She wasn't hurt."

"But he didn't know that. And that isn't the point. Take a good look, Sokka. This is the damage done by a single scream. This happened with the knowledge that you and Aang were still protecting her." She narrowed her eyes coldly. "Think about it: if one cry could do all of this, what will happen when she takes her last breath?"

"I told you," Sokka said. "We won't let you kill-"

"Childbirth, illness, age, war," Sen interrupted. "There are a thousand ways for a woman to die in this world, and surprisingly few of them have to do with me. You cannot deny the fact, Sokka: your sister is as mortal as the rest of us, and one day, despite all of your noble efforts, she will die. And when she does..." she stepped out of the cell, the bright light casting dark shadows across her face. "When she does, you will have an even greater danger to deal with."

"How bad will it be?" Sokka asked softly, not following her from the darkness. Sen shrugged.

"There's no way to tell. But it will be terrible. Zuko has been called the Greatest Threat to the Four Nations, and not without reason."

* * *

Katara now dozed on the spare bed as three Firebenders practiced their art. Ling Xi had begun playing with one of the extra candles as she listened to Zuko and Aang, and had succeeded in creating a little fire of her own. Zuko, seeing no great difficulty in having one more student, invited her to join them. Aang personally thought that if the little girl had gotten any more excited by the offer, she would have fainted, but he kept the idea to himself. The little girl wasn't vastly talented or practiced, but she was adorable, and Zuko's extra comments to her helped to reassure Aang of his own efforts.

Zuko looked across the cell at Katara. She was with him now, and Aang had arranged it so his lessons were slowly earning the trust of the city people.

Things weren't perfect- not by a long shot. But they were good.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Once, I had a dream that I owned Avatar, and I was married to the Phantom of the Opera, and I was a top notch archer, and I had finally finished my book, which ended up being a best seller. And my best friend was a ninja. But, alas, my best friend is not a ninja (yet), I am not married to Erik (he's still pining for Christine), my book is still unfinished (just you wait!), and my archery skills could stand to see improvement (...practice makes perfect, I guess...as do better bows!). Do you notice any pattern? Okay, now for the test: Do I own Avatar? Gee. I wonder.

AN: Thank you all for reviewing and reading this far. Okay, to answer some general questions I've received lately:

1) Katara may or may not die by the end of the story. That is for me to know and you to find out, my pretties.

2) Sen and Sokka are not, and will never be, a couple. She's about five years his senior, but that's beside the point. Though I suppose Sokka is the closest our favorite pseudo-psychotic bounty hunter will ever have to a romantic relationship, their interaction is completely platonic. No romance. He understands what she's going through, and, in answer to further questions, he approached her in the first place because he was trying to figure her out. Psychopaths, like all scary things, become less dangerous if you know more about them.

And (I promised I wouldn't do this, so smite me...) Sokka and Sen will be joining forces to start a new organization: **SOULS**, or **S**ave **O**ur **U**nmarried **L**ittle **S**isters. ((Just kidding.))

And while I'm at it, I'd like to introduce you to Ling Xi's other hero/idol: Angle Man! With his great Protractor of Truth and Calculator of Justice, he travels the Avatar world, keeping the universe in order and all 180 angles straight! (Okay. I'm done now. I had to get that stuff off my chest. No more.)

3) No, this isn't going to be a love triangle between Zuko, Katara and Aang. Aang, in a show of true character, allowed Katara to be with the one she truly loved. He's still got that crush, but he's not going to act on it any more. But she's still important to him.

4) I'm sorry it took me so long to update- school is still, incredibly enough, murder. Expect the next chapter later than usual, because I predict that it will be rather long, and will consequently take a long time to write.

5) Also, one last thing, forgive any and all errors you see here, but go ahead and point them out. Since it took me so long to finish writing this, I didn't send it to any of my editors, so it's still pretty choppy. The parts where my writer's block kicked in will probably be really apparent.

And now that I've sufficiently bored you with a long Author's Note, on to the story!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_In This World You Tried  
Not Leaving Me Alone Behind  
There's No Other Way  
I'll Pray To The Gods: Let Him Stay_

-_Memories_, by Within Temptation

Zuko took a steadying breath, playing idly with the flames of a spare candle.

_Blazes, why does this have to be so hard?_ He wondered grimly. A rampaging rhino was beginning to seem less dangerous than the task at hand. _But it has to be done_.

He kicked the air impatiently.

_An **Agni Kai** is less dangerous than this_, he thought, delivering another kick. _So is trying to pull a dragon's tooth-_ a fiery punch- _jumping from a cliff_- another kick- _running into a bonfire, hugging a shark...this isn't helping_. He lowered his fists and began pacing irritably, trying to devise a plan. This was not something he could fight his way out of. _It isn't something I can just blast away with fire..._

_As appealing as that option might be..._

One of the walls fell away, revealing an Earthbender guard, and beside him, Sokka. The boy had evidently just come from lunch; he was still carelessly holding on to an apple. Zuko wasn't bothered by this- his meals had vastly improved after Katara and Aang had spoken to the King. But he turned his attention from his previously disrespectful treatment and back to the task at hand.

"Zuko," Sokka began gravely. "We seriously need to talk."

_Don't I know it_. The guard left, sealing the door behind him.

"What is it?" the Prince asked aloud. The other boy shot him a glare.

"You know what this is about," he said. "What is going on between you and Katara?"

"I've already explained myself."

"All that you've explained is that you like her. I want to know what's going on."

'_**Like** her?' Are you completely **blind**?_

"And I want specifics," he continued. "So start talking." He took a decisive bite of his apple, chewing it forcefully, as though shredding the fruit would somehow motivate the Prince. Zuko watched him in silence for a moment.

"I want to marry her," he said quietly, just as Sokka began to swallow. He choked, coughing desperately to dislodge the piece of food.

Zuko had planned this, of course- if Sokka was distracted with any attempts to breathe, he would have more difficulty trying to attack. It was a low maneuver, admittedly, but Zuko had long since decided that desperate times would call for desperate measures. Katara would not have a corpse for a husband, at least.

"What?" Sokka panted after a moment's struggle.

"I intend to marry Katara," Zuko said evenly. Sokka hadn't tried to kill him yet. That was a very good sign.

"You," Sokka began incredulously, finally regaining his breath. "Want to marry...Katara?"

"Yes."

"My sister."

_Do we know any other Katara?_

"Yes."

"Katara?"

"Yes." Zuko's nerves were beginning to grind beneath the mounting stress and the endless barrage of idiotic questions, but he made no sign of it. He had to maintain his dignity. He had to show Sokka that he was sincere.

Even though no earthly torture could possibly be so agonizing.

"You're joking," Sokka insisted.

"No, I'm not." Sokka looked him right in the eye.

"Are you serious?" All of his previous doubts and fears flooded through his mind, breaking at last through the mental barriers that he had pushed them behind. For a moment his senses numbed. He felt absolutely helpless.

_What now?_

_What if Sokka forbids a marriage? Would Katara be willing to defy her brother so completely? What consequences would accompany such a dramatic decision?_

_And even if it is allowed, what then? She needs a place to live. And how on earth am I going to provide for her? Would I be a good father?_

_Would I end up like my own father?_

"Yes," Zuko said at last. "I'm completely serious."

Sokka closed his mouth, and an oppressive silence filled the cell. The Babbling Fool had disappeared, replaced by the Big Brother, who held Zuko's gaze with a judicial authority, as though he was searching his very soul.

"Do you love my sister?" he asked quietly. Somehow, Zuko felt intimidated, but he allowed no uncertainty to cross his features.

"Yes," he steadied himself, defending against the agonizing pause that followed the admission.

"I see," Sokka said at last.

_Well? What's your answer?_ Zuko wanted to shout, though he remained silent. He couldn't afford to lose his nerve or his temper. Not now.

"I see," Sokka said again.

* * *

Aang tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was a lot harder than he had expected.

"Clear your mind," Bumi recommended. Aang nodded, and tried- really, he _tried_!- but to no avail. He repositioned his stance, lowered his hands, and raised them to the ceiling again, trying to take a section of the floor with them. Pieces of sandstone broke off and tentatively crept heavenward.

"You know," the King said. "You won't get much done unless you can concentrate."

"I'm trying,"the Avatar insisted. He had no intention of offending his friend, but he was having a hard time focusing on the assignment. It wasn't as though the lesson was boring- not at all, while Bumi was up to his old tricks, at least- but it was his third bending lesson for the day, and he was tired of sitting around, concentrating all the time. He wanted a chance to relax, if only for an hour. Just to have some fun, to fly free...

Even then, things wouldn't be perfect, of course. Katara was still hopelessly in love with Zuko- a fact that Aang was slowly beginning to accept. At least she would be well taken care of. And he'd still have to face up to his 'grand destiny' and the whole 'battle for the fate of the world' thing...but he couldn't help wanting just a moment of...fun. Time to be Just Aang. Not the Avatar. Not the Chosen One. Just Aang.

Bumi studied him pensively. Of course, that pensive gaze resembled a madman's stare more than a King's regal glance, but whatever. It was Bumi.

"On second thought," the old King said slyly. "I have a better idea. How about-" But Aang got no chance what Bumi's ingenious idea could have been. Because at that moment, one of the guards rushed in, his face pale, though he was panting heavily.

"Your Highness!" he cried. "Your Highness! We're..." he gasped for breath. "We're under attack! The city...It's surrounded...by the Fire Nation!"

* * *

Sokka, Aang, and Katara stared off into the mountains from one of the higher points of the palace. Sure enough, they could see a thin, red and black line, stretching across the horizon. Occasionally, smoke issued from some place along that line, signifying campfires.

Hundreds of them.

"How many are there?" Sokka asked quietly. "Soldiers, I mean."

"They couldn't count them all," Aang said, his voice as hushed as his friend's had been. "But there's at least twelve thousand."

Katara didn't move. This couldn't be real. It was impossible. It was a joke. It was...

"Why are they staying so far away?" She asked instead, her voice deceptively calm. Aang bit his lip.

"They're trying to avoid the Earthbenders," he said. "They're not coming close enough for any of the Earthbenders to attack them. Even Bumi can't work from so far away."

"That doesn't stop us from marching up to them-"

"He already tried that," Aang said solemnly. "All of the soldiers were killed before they could get close. They were all shot..."

"So the soldiers are out of reach, and they've got archers nice and hidden just outside the city walls," Sokka observed bitterly.

"The soldiers here are Earthbenders, right?"Katara asked, trying to form another plan. "They could form a tunnel. Under the archers. And then-"

"They tried that, too," Aang said, swallowing. "The Earthbenders needed to put vents in the tunnel, so they wouldn't run out of air..."

"What happened?" Katara asked.

"The Firebenders saw the vents, and..."

"And smoked them out like a den of ice foxes," Sokka finished. "Forced them to come up before they suffocated, and then..." He didn't have to finish. All three of them could see the cruel reality in their minds: when Omashu's soldiers rushed to the surface for air, they would be ambushed and outnumbered by the Firebenders. They hadn't stood a chance.

"There has to be something!" Katara insisted.

"Our side already destroyed the ramp," Sokka observed. "It's the only way into the city. They can't get in, at least."

"And nobody can get out."

"What about Appa?" Katara asked. Aang swallowed again.

"They tried...sending a bird. A messenger hawk, to some of the other cities, to get reinforcements. And...Most of them were shot down. By the archers. But...you remember those catapults, right?" he asked.

As though to prove him right, a burst of flame sprang to life and leapt from the ground, exploding into a smoldering heap, barely two miles from the city wall.

"Well...that was a warning."

* * *

King Bumi watched as the man paced nervously across the throne room.

"It's that Fire Prince," the man muttered. "I know it! I'd bet my life on it!"

"I doubt that," the King said. He had long since given up trying to calm the man, and his antics seemed to satisfy the growing need for panic.

The man, a councilor in the palace, continued his pacing and muttering, apparently trying to convince King Bumi that Zuko was the guilty one, and that killing him and launching his corpse from the palace wall could somehow satisfy the enemy's army.

As he began to suggest more reasons to execute the Prince, Sen entered the room. She was dressed in typical Earth Kingdom clothes, so to better blend among the townspeople, though the baggy clothes barely concealed her weapons and unnatural thinness. She rolled her stiff shoulders and glanced at the councilor.

"What? Did you find a scorpion in your bed?" she asked.

"As if you don't know!" the man snapped at her. "This is your fault!"

"Most likely," Sen shrugged. "But enlighten me: what did I do this time?"

"You! You didn't kill him! You had the opportunity, I know you did! But no, you and your mind games! Instead of killing him when you got the chance, you sat around and sent _me_ to kill his precious girlfriend!"

"I take it we're talking about Zuko, then?" Sen asked mildly.

"Of course not!" the man cried, nearly in a rage.

"Then you must have me confused for someone else. The only one I've sent you after was the girl. But evidently you're used to tasks like that."

King Bumi looked neither impressed nor surprised to discover that Sen had arranged Katara's attack, though the councilor cringed, suddenly realizing that he had exposed himself, despite the King's indifference.

"I'm talking about the army!"

"I don't concern myself with the army," she continued in a bored tone. "You know that: I take care of the criminals inside the city. The rest of the world is your field of expertise." She waved idly at the King. "Anyway, I've had about enough of this. If you need anything, I'll be in the city." She began to walk from the throne room.

"'Don't concern yourself with the army?'" the councilor demanded. "Then how do you explain the army outside our walls this very instant?" The bounty hunter froze.

"What?"

"The Fire Nation is at our doorstep, and it's your fault! You let that...that monster lead his people right to us!"

"That's impossible!" Sen said, her eyes narrowing with irritation...and something else. "He's been locked in his cell since the day I brought him here. And I've kept track of every contact he's had to the outside world. Nothing has come through. Not for him. I guarantee it."

"Oh? Then you're saying that this is your doing, then? That you brought this army? There's nobody else from the Fire Nation here. Only him and you and your stupid bedridden mo-" a brutal fist to the gut silenced the man quickly. Sen was breathing hard, apparently angry, though her eyes said otherwise. She looked distant, pensive...

"I'm tired of asking," she said, her voice low. "What army?"

"The one sitting right outside the walls! Are you deaf, you imbecile?"

King Bumi stood.

"Perhaps this will make things clear...?" he suggested, pulling a stick from his sleeve. Sen stepped forward, sending a cold glare at the councilor, and took the stick.

But it wasn't a stick. It was an arrow, with blood red feathers rising from the end of a long shaft.

A YuuYan arrow.

* * *

The bounty hunter didn't look up as Sokka approached, and she only continued pacing angrily through one of the palace hallways.

"I'm guessing this isn't just a girl thing?" he asked lightly.

"I told you to stay out of my way," she snapped, not pausing in her rounds.

"I haven't followed your orders yet, and I'm not planning to start."

"I can make you regret that, you know," Sen spat bitterly. Sokka didn't retreat, though his eyes narrowed.

"Is it about those soldiers? The ones outside?" This granted a response. Sen finally stopped, slamming her foot against the ground.

"How does everyone know about them?" she demanded. "I'm a spy! How is it that I'm the last one to hear about this?"

"You can't see them unless you look for them. From the higher towers," Sokka explained.

"I know. I saw them..." she kicked at nothing, glaring daggers at the floor. "They won't be there long." Sokka's eyes narrowed.

"Why not?" he asked. From what he knew of Sen, that tone never accompanied good news, or anything moral. She raised her glare to him.

"Why do you think? That's Zhao down there. I know it. And I know what he's after."

"Aang..."

"And Zuko. And Katara. And if he sees Ling Xi in here, he's going to call her a deserter and have her tortured to death. But that's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"What are you going to do about it?" She looked up at him, and a cold, cunning smile crossed her lips.

"Guess."

* * *

Sokka stepped into the cell, paying no attention to the guards as they closed it behind him. Immediately Zuko tensed. Judging by the other boy's grim expression, he suspected that Sokka had finally come to a decision regarding the marriage.

But fate had brought another motive for the visit.

"Hey, Zuko," Sokka began unceremoniously. "You had a catapult on your ship, right?" Zuko stared at him.

"Yes," he said, somewhat taken aback by the randomness of the question.

"So you know how it works. Good. Anyway-"

"What does this have to do with anything?" Zuko asked suspiciously

"Nothing."

"You wouldn't ask if it was nothing. Why do you need to know?" Sokka considered arguing, but he growled and leaned against the wall.

"I want to know how to take them apart. Or destroy them, or something." Now the Prince could only be surprised.

"You aren't planning on going out there, are you?" he asked. Katara and Aang had already explained the siege to him. Sokka moved from the wall. Zuko had noticed that habit: Sokka tended to be restless when he was uncomfortable.

"I'm not. Sen is."

"You're trusting her with something this serious?" he demanded.

"Not on your life. That's why I'm coming with her," Sokka said. "She says that Zhao only has three big advantages: the catapults, the archers, and the Firebenders. Sen's going to find a way to get rid of the archers, and the Firebenders shouldn't be too much trouble, against the Earthbenders, anyway, and-"

"There's no way you'd understand how to destroy the catapults."

"Yes, I can. Just explain it to me." Zuko shook his head.

"It isn't that simple. The catapult on my ship wasn't the same as the ones Zhao uses. I wouldn't be able to explain it to you. Not without seeing them first."

Sokka looked disappointed.

"Yeah, well...thanks anyway," he said, turning to leave. Zuko started.

"I'm coming too," he said. Sokka stopped.

"No, you're a prisoner here. You don't exactly have a choice about when you get to come and go."

"I don't care. The last time I saw Zhao, he was trying to kill Katara. I'm not going to just sit back and give him the chance to try again."

* * *

There was no way around it. They had to tell him. Otherwise, an escape would have been impossible.

And of course, once he realized what they were doing, he wanted to be a part of it.

"It's my duty," he said stubbornly.

"But you have to stay here and make sure nothing happens to Katara," they argued. But he wouldn't listen. He wanted to be out there. Fighting, most likely dying, beside his friends.

They couldn't convince him otherwise. And they couldn't stop him.

And so the escape was made.

"Come on," Sokka said, adjusting his boomerang, glancing at Zuko's swords and Aang's staff. "Sen'll be waiting at the gate."

"Give me a minute," Zuko said quietly, making sure to stay in the shadows, avoiding every chance of being sighted. "There's something I want to take care of first."

Sokka and Aang exchanged glances. They knew, but this time, they wouldn't stop him.

"Just don't tell her," Sokka warned. "Don't tell her."

* * *

Katara stepped into her room, hoping for some refuge. She had been with Ling Xi earlier, but Sen had arrived at the garden, bent on speaking to the little girl. Katara had, by Ling Xi's assurance, resigned herself to leave, if only to avoid unnecessary contact with the bounty hunter. She closed the door behind her, her thoughts distant...

"Katara..."

She jumped a yard at the sound., but managed to turn.

"Zuko?" she asked, finally seeing his face through the dim light of the room. Concern began to overcome her surprise as he approached. "Zuko, what are you doing here? If the guards catch you-" He put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"They won't catch me," he said softly.

"But-"

"Shh..." The sound was soft, but it seemed to fill the room. "It's all right. You don't need to worry, Katara." Something about the way he was speaking...It wasn't normal.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He cupped her cheek with one hand.

"It doesn't matter," he said softly. "I'll take care of everything." He didn't give her a chance to ask anything else before he leaned forward and kissed her gently. She tried to pull away, to question him, but he only tightened his grip. The kiss continued- long, pure...and veined with a wrenching sorrow that she could not understand. Katara felt tears well in her eyes, but Zuko gently wiped them away.

At last it ended, and he pulled away.

"I love you," he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips. One last kiss on the back of her hand, unbearably tender. "Goodbye."

And like a shadow, like a dream, he was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer:Do I own Avatar? No. Do I have a life? Surprisingly, yes. Do I intend to start a massive takeover of Nickelodeon Studios in order to conquer the rights to Avatar? That'sfor me to know and you toponder over.

Author's note: Thank you all for yourreviews- I love them.And I kinda lied earlier...there's one more bit to this. Keep your eyes peeled! But, at last, all your questions (or most of them) will be answered!

**

* * *

**

Chapter 17

_Don't turn away  
Don't give in to the pain  
Don't try to hide  
Though they're screaming your name  
Don't close your eyes  
God knows what lies behind them  
Don't turn out the light  
Never sleep never die_

_-Whisper, _by Evanescence

* * *

Katara's mouth was dry, though the edges of her eyes were still moist- the only evidence of Zuko's visit. Slowly, shakily, she regained her breath and stepped from the room, the original purpose of her retreat all but forgotten.

"Zuko?" she called, trotting down the hall, desperate to assure herself that his visit had been no dream, that nothing terrible had happened. "Zuko? Zuko?"

"He's gone too?" a small voice asked. Katara turned, startled. Ling Xi stood beside her, looking oddly up at the older girl. The young Firebender was paler than usual, and her amber eyes were almost unnaturally bright, as though she was fighting back tears.

"Ling Xi? What's wrong?" Katara asked, kneeling beside the little girl. For a moment she shook her head as though to say it was nothing, that everything was fine. Katara thought she could guess the problem. "Was it something Sen said?" she continued. "What did she want?"

"Nothing," Ling Xi said hollowly. "She's leaving. That's all."

"Leaving? Why..." the rest of the words died in her throat. Slowly, a theory began to form in her mind.

"She's not coming back, Katara," the little girl said, her voice eerily steady with granite resignation. "Neither of them are." Realization washed over Katara in a cold wave.

"But..." she stammered, "Why? Why didn't you try to stop her?" _Why didn't I try to stop him? I could have done it...I could have asked him._ The little girl looked as though she was about to cry, the last shreds of her pretended courage torn away by Katara's outburst. "Where are they going?"

* * *

Zuko was the last to climb the rope down the city wall. The ramp entrance was still a pile of rubble- a vain hope to defend against the enemy- but that had been no deterrent to the four rogues.

"Burn the rope," Sen ordered. "We don't want them getting in the way we came out." Zuko didn't look her in the eyes, but he didn't disobey, and the rope was soon no more than a black streak against the granite wall.

Sen turned to the three boys, her face grim.

"You know where the catapults are?" she asked. Aang nodded. "Good. Start moving, but stay out of sight. The archers are still here. There shouldn't be more than thirty of those- I'll draw them out and kill them myself. If you run into any others, don't hesitate in killing them. Zhao should be in the large camp, just to the west of the catapults. When you finish taking those apart, go to his tent- most of the high ranking officers should be with him, and they're the ones who need to go. I'll meet you there. Do you understand?"

All three agreed.

"Good. Now go!"

And Zuko, Sokka and Aang disappeared into the sparse foliage of the mountains. Sen started to follow them, but stopped suddenly, alerted by a muffled thud. She snapped back, glaring at the source of the sound.

"You know," she said coldly. "If you're going to try sneaking out into a battlefield, I suggest you first master _silence_."

"Shut up," Katara snapped, brushing dirt from her clothes. "Now tell me where Zuko is." The bounty hunter looked amused.

"Well?" she asked. "Which is it? Do you want me to tell you where I've taken your dear lover, or do you want me to stop taunting you? You can have only one."

"_Where is he_?"

"Not here," Sen said simply. "Now go ahead and sneak right back into the city like a good girl, before you get yourself into trouble. Shoo." She flapped her hands as though she was beckoning a dog, or trying to wave Katara back to the rope she had climbed down to reach the ground.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where he is," Katara said stubbornly, planting her feet on the ground.

"Fine by me," Sen said with a shrug. "Stay here, then. But I have things to do-"

"I swear, if you've hurt him..." Katara growled quietly. The bounty hunter cast her a dark glance.

"I'm not the one you need to be worried about," sh e said.

"Don't lie to me. You're nothing but a murderer."

"True enough. And now that you've made your point, you can go in peace. All right?"  
"Where is Zuko?"

"Persistent, aren't you?" The remark was met with a stony glare. "But if you must know, he's with your brother and Aang. Find them, and he won't be far off. Now go. Go and find them, and leave me alone." Without another word she turned and began walking away, her footsteps the only sounds in the otherwise dead air. Slowly, hesitantly, Katara spoke.

"They're out here too, aren't they?" she asked quietly.

"Go back inside. You aren't safe here."

"Did they tell you to say that?"

Silence.

"I'm not going."

"Then there'll be nobody to stop the soldiers when they kill you."

"Like you'll kill Sokka and Aang and Zuko?" Sen's head snapped back too quickly, as though she had been struck.

"Incredibly enough, there are some people who I don't intend to kill," she said coldly. "Do not assume that such a category does not exist, simply because you do not belong to it."

"Then why did you drag them here?" Katara demanded. Sen laughed bitterly.

"'_Drag them here_?' I tried to stop them, you idiot! Do you think I want this? All three of them volunteered for this little deathtrap." Again she turned to leave. This time Katara bounded after her.

"I'm not going to just sit back while they get themselves killed!" she snapped. As fast as lightning, Sen's hand flew out, striking the younger girl across the face.

"Why are you so eager to die?" she snarled.

"I'm not," Katara said, unhindered by the blow. "But I'm not going to let them go through this alone."

"Why the blazes not! You're just going to get in their way! How do you expect them to fight when they're busy worrying about..." Sen's voice trailed pensively, but Katara didn't hear.

"Because they're important to me," she said without hesitation. "Because I love them." The bounty hunter leveled her gaze to the Watarbender's, studying her intently.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Do you love them enough to die for them?"

Katara's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Sen turned away, disgusted. "I thought so," she said.

"What kind of a question is that?" Katara finished boldly. "Of course I do. I'll do anything for them." Sen glanced over her shoulder.

"Then maybe," she said. "Maybe, there's a chance."

* * *

They stared at the machines for a long moment. Three archers and four guards, all dead, littered the trail behind them, the only ones who had noticed their approach. So far the news of their approach had not escaped, but soon enough, the guards would be missed, and when they were...

The catapults would have to be destroyed before that happened.

"Do you think you can figure this out?" Aang asked. He could understand basic machinery, but the giants before him seemed devastatingly complex. Yet this didn't seem to bother Sokka and Zuko as they studied the weapons.

"Yes," Zuko said decisively. "Just give me a few minutes."

* * *

Sen and Katara walked in silence for several minutes, before the bounty hunter signaled the younger girl to stop.

"Come out where I can see you," Sen barked into the trees. She was received by only silence, but continued. "I said come out. Enough of your secrecy. I already know you're there."

From the corner of her eye, Katara could see a shadow spring to life. It took the form of a young man, and silently approached, a bow in his hand, and an arrow already nocked to the string and pointed at them. It took a great deal of willpower not to cry out at the sight of the man, or the three others that slowly emerged from the shadows. All of them wore brown and gray and strange markings painted across their eyes. The only armor they wore consisted of two leather bracers, though each held a bow, fitted with an arrow and aimed at the girls.

"Put down your weapons," Sen said irritably. "I have business with Admiral Zhao, and I don't need your interference."

The archers did not move.

"What business?" one of them said with militant stiffness. Apparently he was the leader, though Katara couldn't tell the difference between any two of the men.

"Private business," the bounty hunter said. Three arrows closed on her throat, and she grimaced. "Fine," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "There is such a thing as privacy, in case you haven't noticed. I'm delivering a prisoner to him. One that he should be more than happy to get his hands on." She gestured carelessly at Katara. The girl looked stunned.

"Me?" she asked stupidly.

"Obviously. Now be quiet. And you," she turned her attention to the archer before her. "Let me pass."

"We will deliver the prisoner to Admiral Zhao," he said, his voice never leaving it's stiffness. Sen looked disgusted.

"And split the bounty with you? Forget it. I've got to eat. _I'm_ making the delivery."

"You will not set foot on the camp." The archer said. Sen's shoulders slumped.

"Fine," she growled, turning away. "Be that way." Before they could react, she twisted, throwing a knife at the leader before she drew Jet's hooked swords. Katara didn't see where the first archer was hit, but she knew that wound had been to a vital area, because he collapsed to the ground almost immediately. The three remaining archers pulled back their bowstrings, ready to shoot down their attacker. Sen's swords swung at both of them, catching the wooden bows in the hooked blades, forcing the archers into a fierce tug of war as they attempted to reclaim their weapons. But the third remained unhindered, taking careful aim for the bounty hunter's throat...

Almost without thinking, Katara acted. The archer tried to release the arrow, but it stuck to his hand, frozen in a mass of ice along with a portion of the string and a few of his fingers. Sen smiled slightly as she saw the archer strugling with his weapon.

"Katara!" she called. "Do that again! To these two!" The Waterbender obeyed, freezing the moisture that remained in the air around the archer's hands. As they struggled, Sen untangled her weapons, quickly beheading the three attackers.

"Good," the bounty hunter said as she retrieved her knife. "Now come on, we have work to do."

"What were you talking about?" Katara said, grudgingly following her.

"What?"

"'A prisoner that he'll be happy to get his hands on.' What did you mean by that?" The bounty hunter rolled her eyes.

"So your brother's been keeping my secrets. That's good to hear."

"What?"

"Never mind. It's a long story, but Zhao hates you, and he's set up a quaint little fee for anyone who brings you to him. Deal with it."

"So you're going to turn me in for ransom money?"

"No, but it makes an excellent alibi. Do you think that after more than a month of absence, they're going to just invite me back in for no reason? Of course not. I need a good excuse. And that happens to be you."

"So that's your plan?" Sen grimaced at her.

"Of course not. That wouldn't do nearly enough damage. My plan is better."

"And that would be?"

"Come down. I already know you're here!" Sen called into the trees. Katara bit her lip and prepared to again to freeze the moist air.

This would take a while.

* * *

"There it is!" Sokka cried triumphantly, grabbing at what had he had decided was one of the key parts of the machine. But to no avail- the part had been bolted into place. Zuko glanced at his work and stepped in, forming a white hot flame far away from his hand, melting the bolt.

"Thanks," Sokka said, grabbing the part once again, but dropping it immediately- the metal looked no different, but it was searingly hot. Swearing profusely, he hooked his foot under the part and dislodged it, throwing it aside. Zuko destroyed a few other parts before the two of them moved on to another machine. Aang had lost patience with trying to figure out how the catapults were put together, and finally settled on practicing Earthbending on them, pummeling the machines with boulders until they fell apart. The progress was slow- only four of the siege engines had been disabled so far, and nearly two dozen remained, but they were gaining speed with experience.

* * *

Katara felt herself growing queasy as the work continued in it's gruesome rhythm- Sen found and pacified the archers, then Katara immobilized them. There wasn't enough water for a natural attack, so she had to settle for freezing their bows and hands, before the bounty hunter killed them and they moved on. So far, more than twenty had died this way, and according to Sen, another five awaited the same fate.

"You still haven't answered my question," Katara said, forcing herself not to look at the blood that Sen was wiping off her weapons. "What's your brilliant plan?" At first, the woman did not respond, still studying the condition of her swords. "Well?"

"It's simple, really," Sen said, not looking up. "I already told you. Zhao hates you. That much should be obvious." Katara nodded. She still remembered the beating he had given her during their last meeting.

"But what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Nothing, by itself," Sen mused, starting to walk away as she spoke. "Zhao hates a lot of people, and most of them don't matter too much. But you're different. You've got connections."

"Connections?" Katara asked, puzzled.

"Did I stutter? Whether you've noticed it or not, you are very well protected."

"By what?"

"Not what. By whom. Think about it. Your brother is an incredible warrior, even if he doesn't show it half the time. Zuko is by far the the greatest Firebender I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Even the Fire Lord, at his best, can't compare to your dear lover when Zuko is properly motivated. And on top of all that, you're best friend is the Avatar, who has been the most powerful Bender in the world since the dawn of time."

"...I...guess..." Katara managed to say. She had never considered that before. "But what does that have to do with your big plan?"

"Simple enough. We're going to march right up to Zhao's tent, and we're going to make sure he sees you. But more importantly, I'm going to make sure that Zuko, and Aang, and Sokka see you."  
"And then what?" Katara's voice was steady, but an eerie foreboding was beginning to creep through her mind.

"From there, we'll do nothing. Things will play themselves out."

"What do you mean? What's going to happen?"

"Zhao's going to see you. And he's going to kill you. Pretty violently, too, by the way he was talking the last time I saw him. You'll die, and Sokka, and Aang, and Zuko will live. Most likely, anyway. At least they'll have a fighting chance."

"I don't understand..." Katara said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "How will that help them?"

"Simple enough. The one thing that those three can agree on these days is you. Or at least, on the fact that you need to stay safe. Because all three of them obsess over you."

"What?"  
"I don't get it either. That's just the way it is. But maybe you've never seen a man fight when he's angry. It's incredible." Sen glanced at her, her face at once grim and intense. "And seeing you die...they'll be unstoppable. It'll take a thousand men to stop them, and even then, it'll be a fight to remember. Not that there'll be anyone left to fight- they'll all be too busy trying to escape. And they all live happily ever after: Omashu is safe, an entire army is either dead or scattered, those three are alive and well, and you're dead.. Simple enough."

"Are...are you sure...?" Katara asked softly. _Are you sure there's no other way? Are you sure I have to die?_ "Are you sure it'll work? They'll be okay?" Sen looked at her oddly, then nodded. "Can you promise me?" The bounty hunter exhaled impatiently.

"I already told you. There's no guarantee. Most likely, they'll kill off every soldier in sight. But there's always a chance that they'll die."

"But can you try? To keep them safe, I mean. If you see anything...if you can do anything..." Sen continued to stare at the younger girl.

"Can you even hear yourself?" she demanded. "You're going to be walking into your own grave, do you understand? You'll probably be dead by the end of the hour." Katara grinned, though the expression looked slightly painful.

"I know."

"This isn't like that stupid necklace of yours. Once you die, nobody's going to come by and give you your life back. Once it's gone, it's gone."

"I know."

"And this doesn't bother you at all?" Katara looked down, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"Of course it does. But there are more important things."

* * *

The three boys watched in satisfaction as the last catapult fell apart.

"We're supposed to go west now, right?" Aang asked.

"Not just yet," Sokka said, his gaze wandering to the catapult's ammunition: dozens of steel balls, beside at least a hundred barrels that reeked of pitch.

Zuko smiled wickedly, not needing any more information. He threw one hand forward, and a long wave of fire ignited several of the barrels. The rest burst into flame as the first few exploded, scattering burning pitch all around them.

"_Now_ we can go," he said.

* * *

The camp was simply built, little more than a mass of tents and trampled ground and fire pits, though it was swarming with people. A few of them paused as Sen marched across the grounds, her clothes splattered with blood, a number of minor cuts thatching her skin.

Katara was not with her- instead, the younger girl crouched in the shelter of a cluster of bushes, keeping out of sight as she secretly watched.

_'Stay out of sight,' _Sen had said. _'I'll get you when the time is right. Until then, let nobody see you.'_ Katara had no intention of disobeying.

"Ah, my pet," a low, dangerous voice said, clearly audible through the bustle of the camp. "You return at last."

"You're a hard man to get a hold of," Sen said softly, making no mention of the way Zhao had adressed her, though Katara could see the woman's spine just slightly at the words 'my pet'.

"Is that a fact?" Zhao mused, continuing to advance until he stood just a few feet from the bounty hunter.

"Of course. I've been trying to contact you for ages, but those archers of yours kept shooting down my messengers. I had to come personally."

"I assume that's the reason that I haven't heard from you in so long?"

"Naturally."

"And?" he glanced at the blood on her clothes. For the first time, Katara got a good look at all of his features. The left side of his face had been completely mutilated, burned almost past recognition. His left hand had been marred in the same way, and though she couldn't see it through his armor, she suspected that a generous portion of his torso had received the same.

"There were a few people who weren't too pleased to see me leave the city. But they didn't give me much trouble."

"Excellent. Now tell me, my pet," he grinned, the expression turned fierce and hideous by his disfigured face. "What was so important that you had to fight your way down here to see me?"

"News, mostly."

"Indeed?"

"There is no doubt in my mind that you know of the Avatar's presence in Omashu. But perhaps you were unaware of the reason: he has been taking lessons here. Earthbending lessons. I know that I need not impress how much more dangerous this makes him." _And he's learning Firebending too,_ Katara thought. It was odd- Sen was telling the truth, basically (though Katara could not be sure whether this extended to the hawks as well) but only the parts of the truth that supported her.

"He is nothing but a child."

"Exactly. But he is still the Avatar."

"Is there anything else?"

"Zuko has been declared a prisoner of Omashu and locked away in a dungeon." _But he's out for the moment, so he can kill you._ Again, Sen was telling only the pieces of truth that she found useful. Now as Katara thought back, it made sense: Sen had said vicious things in the past, but she had rarely, if ever, spoken an outright lie. Every word from the woman's mouth had been either a slight exaggeration or a vast omission, but it always contained some part of the truth. And therefore, she could never be proved wrong.

"Excellent," Zhao chuckled. "The only place better for him is a grave. And I'll put him there myself.

What other news do you have?"

Sen grinned at him, though her eyes flickered for an instant to Katara. Aang and Zuko and Sokka had not arrived yet. Could the bounty hunter continue stalling him until they arrived? Katara sincerely hoped so.

"Omashu's king is a madman. You need not worry about him. And..." her eyes flickered to Katara again.

_Come on_, the Waterbender thought desperately. _You can't be out of ideas already! Think of something! This has to work. It's their only chance!_

"And one more thing," Sen said, her voice silky and sweet.

"Well?" Zhao prodded, nearly licking his lips in anticipation.

"I'm _not_ your _pet_," she snarled, her entire demeanor changing instantly as she drew her knife, fast as lightning, and plunged it into his throat.

At least, she tried. Zhao's hands shot out and grabbed her wrist, wrenching it away. Sen fought like a rabid beast, trying to switch the blade to her other hand, but it too was seized. Zhao was easily twice her size, and all of her struggle proved useless. He struck her in the gut with one knee, completely winding the woman.

"You'll regret that," he hissed, throwing her to the ground. She didn't try to look up at him or try to regain her feet, only to crawl away from what she knew came next.

But there was no hope of escape.

Katara clapped her hands over her ears, but she couldn't drown out the scream as a blast of fire engulfed the woman. All around, the soldiers stopped and stared at their leader and the charred, writhing creature on the ground before him. Somewhere nearby, an explosion was heard, and a pillar of black smoke wound it's way towards the pure white clouds. But the sound meant nothing to Katara.

_She's still alive_, she realized, horror permeating her every thought._ What was she doing? She's **still alive**_.

But Zhao noticed as well. He lifted his hand again, his fingers closed into a fist as he prepared a finishing blow.

"_STOP IT_!" Katara heard herself shouting as she jumped to her feet. Zhao turned immediately, his eyes locked on her, a cold, hungry grin growing across his horrible face. He didn't seem to notice the crystals of ice that were quickly forming around his fists.

"You," he said. He sounded pleased. There was no remorse in his voice, no recognition of what he had just done to Sen.

"You're a monster," Katara breathed. It was all she could bring herself to say- she felt numb. Wrenching terror surged through her veins, colder and more constraining than the ice that bound Zhao's hands. His grin widened.

"Is that so?" he purred. "Better a monster than what you're going to be." He raised one fist. The ice that encased it simply fell away, melting into water and steam as he leered at her. Katara rereated a step, but she forced herself to look him defiantly in the eyes.

"I don't care."

"Perfect." His fist pulled back, preparing to strike. But suddenly he dropped his stance, snarling in agony. Sen was at his feet: she had somehow picked up her knife again and had plunged it into his unarmored calf- the only part of him she could reach in her mangled state- and twisted it cruelly. Zhao wrenched his leg from her grasp and delivered a horrific kick to her head. Katara heard a sickening snap as the once bounty hunter was thrown back, rolling for a few feet before she came to a stop, unmoving, on the ground.

Somehow, Katara knew that Sen would never move again.

Zhao turned to face her once more, his eyes bright with rage.

"And now," he growled. "It's your turn." He thrust his fist at her.

And then a blur of blue and black rammed into him, throwing him back a yard. Zhao's attack went askew, igniting the trees around Katara, though she herself was untouched. She dodged out of the flaming foliage, not getting a chance to get a good look at the shape that was now sending a volley of punches into Zhao's face.

"Stay...away...from...my...SISTER!" he shouted, punctuating every word with another blow. Around them, the soldiers were finally coming to their senses and rushed to help their leader, but a powerful tremor in the earth sent them all to the ground. As a few regained their feet, Aang knocked them down again, pummeling them with stones and wind and fire until they stayed down. Zhao finally managed to get a grip on Sokka and threw him to the side, painfully rising to his full height, only to be thrown back again, this time by a fiery kick. Before he could hit the ground, two powerful hands gripped his collar, shaking him fiercely as they dragged him up to meet his new opponent.

He delivered another punch to the Admiral's face, but as he pulled back, Zhao grabbed his wrist, returning the punch with his free hand. While they grappled, more soldiers flooded the camp, fought off by Sokka and Aang and, now that she had regained her senses, Katara.

The battle was fierce, though they were only four against a seemingly endless army. The soldiers brought weapons with them- swords and spears and arrows, most of which were broken or cast aside by Aang and Katara's Bending before Sokka finished them. Dozens of lethal flares went astray as Zuko and Zhao continued their duel, incinerating dozens more where they stood.

But despite their desperation and skill, the four were quickly growing weary. Katara slashed at one of the soldiers, freezing another in his tracks, but had to stop, trying to catch her breath in the momentary lull while no enemies were close enough to strike.

Or so she thought.

Because Zhao saw her. Her back was turned, and Zuko was slowing, though just slightly. He needed a good distraction to finish the Exiled Prince, once and for all. And here it was, waiting for him.

He cast a single blow, fierce and intense, toward the girl, pouring all of his rage into the attack. _It's her. Her fault. She's to blame. She did this to me, and she's disgracing me in front of my men. In front of the Fire Lord! And she will pay_.

The blast was blocked at the last moment as Zuko rushed in front of Katara, countering it with another strike.

"Run, Katara," the Prince muttered before he returned Zhao's attack. But it was too late. The Admiral had found his weakness. The attacks continued, randomly aimed at Katara, then Zuko, steadily wearing out the Prince as he tried to protect her. Katara dodged to the side, taking momentary refuge behind a barrel, but pulled back immediately- it reeked of sulfur.

Blasting jelly.

Her eyes widened and she scrambled away from the lethal barrel, horribly aware of the dozens of flames that were crossing the battlefield. One tongue of flame came dangerously close- courtesy of Zhao. Zuko returned a flare, trying to ward the Admiral away from her. She pointed at the barrel, and his eyes widened as he realized what lay inside. In that instant of distraction, a cruel fire ball struck him in the chest, throwing him back. He barely had time to regain his feet when another strike tore him down, and another, and another.

_And seeing you die...they'll be unstoppable._

Katara wasn't sure why she did it. But something about Sen's words...logic died in that instant. She was afraid- terrified. But not of death.

_There are more important things._

Only one thing frightened her now. There was only one thing she could still lose, and she wouldn't give it up. Wouldn't give them up. Not without a fight.

And she raced forward, past Zuko, straight into Zhao. Zuko pulled himself to his feet and sprinted after her with a shout. Aang and Sokka saw, heard him cry out, and abandoned their own battles to chase after her.

Anything to save her from the danger.

Zhao saw, as well. He prepared a single, powerful blaze.

But Zuko rammed into him first. The flare hit him in the gut, but it had been given no chance to form completely, and while the burn was painful, it was far from deadly. The force of the impact overbalanced Zhao, and Zuko threw all his weight against him, forcing the Admiral back and away from Katara. Finally they came to a halt as Zhao backed into something hard. Zuko jumped back, doubled over his injury, his breath heavy.

"Tired already, whelp?" the Admiral sneered. "That's too bad."

"I don't think so..." Zuko rasped, throwing another flare at Zhao. The blaze went wide, landing just to the right of the Admiral and leaving him untouched. Zhao's grin widened wickedly.

"You can't even shoot straight," he taunted.

"I wasn't aiming at you," Zuko breathed, turning and staggering away. Zhao drew back his fist to strike the Exiled Prince as his back was turned, but an all too familiar, acrid scent caught his nose. He turned to face the source of the stench, just in time to see the first ember burn through the wooden panels surrounding the blasting jelly.

He had no chance to flee before he was consumed by flame.

* * *

"Katara?" Zuko called, trying not to cringe as he forced his burned limbs to move. He had underestimated the size of the blast...but where was Katara? Had she escaped the attack? He finally saw her- trying to fend off three soldiers while her brother and Aang tried to force paths to her side. There were at least three dozen soldiers around the campsite, and more were arriving every minute. A pang of despair touched him.

_It's impossible. There's no way to get out of this alive_, he realized numbly. But the thoughts were left unattended as he rushed to strike down one of the soldiers that had ganged up on Katara. These three had barely fallen before four more arrived, and even more were waiting until the battlefield cleared enough for them to join the fray.

Behind them, the ground twisted and surged, forming a tall, flat, thick sheet. Though neither of them paused their fight long enough to properly look at it, they were aware that another rose from the ground, and another, until they seemed to form three walls, enclosing a small space.

"Come on, you two!" Sokka barked, striking one of their attackers with his club. "Get in there! Now!" They didn't hesitate before they fled into the makeshift chamber, and as soon as Sokka ran in behind them, Aang formed a fourth wall, closing the chamber entirely.

"Is everyone okay?" the Avatar asked, forcing his voice to sound calmer than he clearly felt. For a moment, nobody spoke, and the stone walls resonated with the sounds of panting as the four of them tried to regain their breath.

"I don't think any of us are," Katara said quietly. By the dim light coming from the roofless chamber, she looked at her brother and friends. All of them were scored by dozens of cuts and bruises, a few broken ribs, and in Zuko's case, cruel burns marred too much of his chest and arms. She was scarcely better off than he was- though expert, his defense had failed for instances at a time, and Zhao had succeeded in coating her in minor burns as well.

"Anyway, first thing's first," Aang said, pulling a small water skin out of his pocket. Katara had worn one earlier, but an overly accurate arrow had made it useless. Now both of them shared the meager supply, using it to mend the wounds of the battle.

Muffled shouting could be heard from outside the makeshift fortress, followed by a horrible crash that shook the stone walls.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, almost woodenly.

"It sounds like they're trying to break down the walls," Sokka said, too calm, glancing at the trembling stones.

"How?" Katara wondered aloud. Zuko gently smoothed her hair as she worked to mend the burn on his chest. The touch was comforting and sweet, his tone was soft and casual, but he could not draw the heaviness from his words.

"Spare parts from the catapults, probably," he said. "There are plenty of pieces that could be turned into battering rams."

Another crash.

Despite the noise that continued outside the enclosure, an eerie calm settled within it. Nobody spoke, but all of them understood the same thought: _we aren't going to live through this_. It was at once grim and sweet, frightening and soothing. Every one of them had come to the battlefield expecting to die, having said all goodbyes and relinquished all hopes for life and future. It shouldn't have been sad. Suddenly Katara broke the silence:

"Hey, Aang, do you still have that bison whistle?"

The Avatar turned to her, a trace of hope crossing his features as he searched his pockets...

_It isn't going to work_, Sokka thought, and the unspoken words seemed to echo from the walls. _We're miles from Omashu- Appa's too far away to hear. And even if he does, the soldiers will have gotten in by the time he's gotten here. And they'll probably kill him on sight._

Aang pulled out the whistle at last, his hands almost shaking as he blew into the ivory.

Another crash.

"What are we going to do now?" Zuko asked, searching the tiny square of sky that was still visible through the stone walls with false calm.

"We can either wait here," Sokka said. "And take the chance that the soldiers get in before Appa does..or we can get a head start, and then at least we'll have a chance to fight back."

"There's a third option." All eyes turned to Zuko as he spoke. He turned to face Aang and continued: "You're fast. You can run to Omashu and get help."

"But that's exactly what they want," Katara said. "They'd catch him in an instant."

"Not if they're not looking at him," the Prince said enigmatically.

"So you have a plan," Sokka concluded. Zuko nodded, though continued speaking to Aang.

"The two of us go out at once, and you'll close the wall behind us. I'll make a scene, and-"

"No, you won't." Katara said firmly.

"Do you have a better idea?" he said wearily. She put one hand on his shoulder, and another on Aang's.

"Yes," she said resolutely. "We can meet him halfway."

"Katara, it isn't going to work," Sokka said, finally admitting the truth they all knew.

"But it's worth a try. We can go all at once, back towards Omashu. And while we're at it, we'll do as much damage as we can. No deception, no tricks, nobody left behind."

"We'll all be killed if we go," Aang said.

"Then we'll go fighting. It's better than hiding in the shadows. If they break down these walls while we're still inside, we won't stand a chance. But maybe if we catch them by surprise..."

"Then we might still get through when they're not expecting it," Sokka finished.

"And if Appa hasn't heard us yet, we'll be able to get close enough to call him, and he'll be able to land safely. There's no downside."

"Except for the fact that we'll be running into the heart of an army. We'll all be killed in minutes."

Katara met his eyes.

"Then we'll all die together," she said firmly. "I can think of worse things." _Becoming Zhao's prisoner. Being forced to watch as Zuko was beaten and nearly killed. Being left behind while everyone I love left to die for my sake. _"I'm not afraid."

* * *

Crash.

The steel beam struck the stone once more. Thin cracks crept from the site of impact, slithering along the sides of the wall. It wouldn't be long before this vicious attack was ended, and the fallen were avenged.

Crash.

Another impact shook the walls and every soldier who gripped the beam. They caught themselves, regained lost balance, and dug in their feet to charge again.

But the jarring impact did not come.

Instead the entire stone formation rushed out to meet them, exploding in a thousand shards before the steel battering ram had a chance to strike again. The shrapnel cut many- striking some unconscious, killing more. Few soldiers immediately saw the four teenagers that erupted from the stronghold among the stones, striking viciously at anyone they passed, sprinting desperately toward the city. The startled soldiers quickly gave chase, racing after them before completely blockading them. But the youths would not be stopped. They plowed, unyielding, through the line of soldiers, attacking anyone who stood before them. One of the soldiers kicked at them from behind, sure to harm, if not kill, the Exiled Prince while he was distracted with his killing spree. Flames spiraled from his foot, rushing towards the boy...and then disappeared instantly as his leg stopped short, held in the iron grip of a grim faced old man. Almost effortlessly, the man twisted his grip, throwing the soldiers into one of his comrades and sending both to the ground.

Around them, the rest of the soldiers tried to continue their fight, though they found more men now attacking their ranks, diverting the attention from the teenagers. Many of the soldiers stopped in their tracks, staring dumbly at the sight: these newcomers were from the Fire Nation. They wore the standard armor, were even mounted on rhinos! But their disbelief was cut short as the renegade newcomers continued their onslaught.

* * *

Zuko glanced over his shoulder and stumbled.

"...Uncle?" he blurted. Iroh flashed him a monkeyish grin.

"Did you miss me, Prince Zuko?" he said cheerfully, throwing another soldier back as he spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, his voice thin with disbelief. "Where's the ship?"

"The ship is in a harbor, of course," Iroh said innocently. "And I heard that there were good deals on tea in this region. Was I mistaken?"

"I'm glad you're here," Zuko said softly, before throwing another two soldiers back.

"As am I," the old man said. But he got no more chance to speak. More soldiers surged forward, distracting both uncle and nephew, as the temporary advantage Iroh had provided was quickly overcome by Zhao's still massive army.

"I'm glad you guys can have your little reunion," Sokka choked, trying to evade a particularly nasty assault. "But we kind of need to focus!"

"There's too many of them!" Katara shouted. The old man grinned.

"Have patience," he said, never pausing in his own fight.

"What?" Aang cried.

A deafening roar split the air, followed by a sound like thunder.

And a wild, maniacal laugh.

"Get 'em, Flopsie!" King Bumi shouted as the massive monster pummeled through the Fire Nation's ranks, throwing soldiers right and left, excitedly bouncing its rider: an old man, bending boulders across the battlefield. And behind him, marching into battle, stretching back as far as the eye could follow, were Omashu's soldiers.

Several Firebenders pulled back, retreating in horror at the sight of the monster and military. The Earthbenders pressed forward, washing over the weary teenagers, driving their enemies away.

* * *

Katara felt like she was drowning in the confusion in the midst of the new army as they marched past her. Zuko, Sokka, Aang and Iroh were nowhere in sight-she wasn't sure if they were even alive anymore. She could only stand there: lost, dizzy, exhausted, and confused, staring into a sea of unfamiliar faces. She began to back away, shaking her head as though that would stop the chaos.

And in the midst of the army, she felt warm arms wrap around her waist.

"It's all right," Zuko whispered into her ear as he felt her jump. "You're safe now. And I promise you, every thing's going to be all right."

Relief washed through Katara, though there was still doubt at the edge of her mind.

"What about Aang and Sokka?" she asked. "And Iroh?"

"They're all right. I just saw them."

She felt her eyes well up with tears- not from fear, or sorrow, but from pure, wonderful, beautiful relief.

"It's over," he said, gently kissing her. "It's all over."


	18. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Author's Note: I find myself amazed with how much you guys have done for this story. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without you.

Secondly, I'd like to point out, for my own amusement, how many of the people who were practically begging me to murder Sen in a painful way turned around and lamented her death with so much emotion. Remember that, though she was a really fun character, she wasa villain, and a minor villain at that.The story here is of Zuko and Katara, and it is finally finished. This story isn't mine-more than the disclaimer can say-stories write themselves. Authors justwrite themdown. And this storyhasdeclared itself finished, and I must yeild to that.

In regards to Sen, I'm sorry, buther death was decidedfrom the firstlineshe said, as was her inner good side. To you, my dear readers, I offer this advice:You must never assume that a person is evil. Nobody goes around twiddling thier thumbs, trying to think up ways to be mean to people. There is always a reason, if you are only willing to find it.

Once again, thank you dearly.

Your humble servant,

Masako Moonshade.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

"Wow, Katara," Aang breathed as she turned to face him. Ling Xi stood on a chair beside her, helping two women weave roses into the Waterbender's hair. The crimson flowers seemed to glow in beautiful contrast to the indigo gown she wore- the same one Iroh had bought for her, so long ago, and had taken such immaculate care in transporting with him. Katara smiled hopefully.

"Does it look all right?" she asked, a tint of nervousness flecking her voice. She was answered by a surprised whistle.

"Whoa...Hey, Katara, since when have you been pretty?" Sokka asked. She playfully wrinkled her nose at her brother before absently touching her hair.

"Hsh!" one of the women chided gently. "Don't do that, dear. You'll upset it.

"Sorry," the Waterbender said.

"Here," Ling Xi said, fixing a few loose strands. "That's better." She grinned, but Katara saw her touch the onyx necklace that the little girl now wore. It had been given to her by King Bumi, as a mourning band for her late sister.

Sen's actions in the battle had not gone unreported, and the people of Omashu wasted no time in adding their own twists to the tale, until the cold bounty hunter that Katara had once feared became known as a martyred hero, who had nobly sacrificed herself while summoning an army of spirits to save Omashu from their attackers. Those who knew the truth made no effort to correct such rumors.

But Sen wasn't the only one who had gained a fine reputation from the battle. Sokka, Aang, and Katara became war heroes, and even Zuko had been welcomed into the city with praise and songs. He was quickly rising from royalty to legendary- the current rumor seemed to reveal that a demon, more widely known as Zhao, had bewitched Zuko into appearing as a terrible beast, and had only been returned to his true form when he killed the demon to save his true love. Clearly, nobody seemed to remember attacking Zuko as he had first entered the city.

Still, nobody bothered to correct them. Zuko was now free to go wherever he wished, Sokka and Aang were regularly crowded by every available girl in the city.

And the War was...over.

It was so strange to think about it. But shortly after the battle, Iroh had sent a message to the Fire Lord. He had informed Ozai that four teenagers had killed Zhao, destroyed dozens of siege engines, and almost single handedly defeated an army of ten thousand trained soldiers. Along with the revelation came an ultimatum: the War was to end immediately, as was Zuko's exile. All armies were to be withdrawn immediately, and all future decisions made by the Fire Lord required the direct approval the Avatar. After those five months, technicalities were still being sorted out, but a grudging decision had finally been made. Mainly, because the alternative was made clear: if Ozai refused, he would face the wrath of the four most powerful people in the world. Even Ozai's conceit had given way, and he finally submitted, if only to spare himself from another humiliating defeat. He even proclaimed that if Zuko so chose, he would inherit the throne of the Fire Nation once his father died.

But the Prince had a more immediate goal in mind.

Once again, he had proposed to Katara, in front of Sokka, Aang, and most of Omashu. Sokka gave his permission with feigned reluctance, and the wedding was set.

Iroh popped his head into he door with a grin.

"Ah, my dear Katara," he cried jovially. "Is that you? Or has an angel come down to whisk me away?" his grin only widened as a soft blush began to stain her cheeks.

"But come now," he continued. "It's about to begin. You mustn't be late!" He ushered her away from the other women, and Sokka and Aang disappeared to take their own places.

Iroh made pleasant conversation as he led Katara down several halls to a large doorway, equipped with two Earthbending guards to open it. Even through the stone, Katara could hear hundreds of people eagerly buzzing as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

A few moments passed before hurried footsteps resonated through the hall. An instant later, she saw Zuko, clad in traditional armor that he had never quite grown unaccustomed to, the finally accepted symbol of his restored heritage. And it looked very good on him.

"Sorry," he muttered, his head down as he focused on something else. Sokka had promised to keep him as busy as possible, as playful retribution for marrying his sister. Clearly whatever plot he and Aang and Ling Xi had devised was effective, because Zuko's tone proved that he had been bothered with enough minor squabbles. "I came as fast as..." He looked up, and for the first time that day, saw Katara. "Oh." His eyes had widened slightly, his mouth hung agape- it was subtle, and his shattered composure would have gone unnoticed by anyone else. But Katara saw it. As did Iroh.

"Katara..." An apology, a promise, an exclamation, a prayer. Iroh grinned.

"Now, now, Prince Zuko," he chided cheerfully. "After the ceremony. Which, by the way, is supposed to start now. Hurry!"

An instant later, the doors fell away, revealing a thousand spectators, vainly trying to hush themselves as the bride and groom began their journey down the long aisle. But Zuko and Katara barely saw their audience.

"I love you, Katara," Zuko whispered, so only she could hear it.

"I love you, Zuko."

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_Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end._

--Author Unknown

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**_The End_**


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